{"id":143,"date":"2023-04-19T04:58:03","date_gmt":"2023-04-19T04:58:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cissar.com\/?p=143"},"modified":"2023-04-19T04:58:03","modified_gmt":"2023-04-19T04:58:03","slug":"senior-us-diplomat-bids-farewell-to-saudi-arabia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cissar.com\/index.php\/2023\/04\/19\/senior-us-diplomat-bids-farewell-to-saudi-arabia\/","title":{"rendered":"Senior US diplomat bids farewell to Saudi Arabia"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"printable-area shareable\">\n<div class=\"title-area show-for-printable-area\">\n<h2>Senior US diplomat bids farewell to Saudi Arabia<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"img-area show-for-printable-area\">\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.arabnews.com\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/n_670_395\/public\/main-image\/2023\/04\/18\/3778596-1272551026.jpg?itok=uoAukPvZ\" alt=\"Senior US diplomat bids farewell to Saudi Arabia\" title=\"Senior US diplomat bids farewell to Saudi Arabia\"> <\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-highlight\">\n<ul>\n<li>Martina Strong, Washington\u2019s departing charge d\u2019affaires, served in Riyadh for five years<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-meta hide-for-large no-print\">\n<div class=\"updated-ago\">\nUpdated 18 April 2023 <\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-author\">\nLama Alhamawi <\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-date\">\n<time>April 18, 2023<span> 22:09<\/span><\/time> <\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-meta-footer\">\n<div class=\"grid-x align-justify\">\n<div class=\"cell shrink\">\n<div class=\"entry-views\"><span class=\"views-count-placeholder nid-2289056\"><i class=\"icomoon-icon icon-views\"><\/i><span><\/span><\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"cell shrink\">\n<div class=\"entry-shares-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"a2a_kit \" addthis:title=\"Senior US diplomat bids farewell to Saudi Arabia\" addthis:url=\"https:\/\/www.arabnews.com\/node\/2289056\" data-a2a-url=\"https:\/\/www.arabnews.com\/node\/2289056\" data-a2a-title=\"Senior US diplomat bids farewell to Saudi Arabia\">\n<a class=\"a2a_button_facebook facebook-btn-hover\"><i class=\"icomoon-icon icon-facebook\"><\/i><\/a><br \/>\n<a class=\"a2a_button_twitter twitter-btn-hover\"><i class=\"icomoon-icon icon-twitter\"><\/i><\/a><br \/>\n<a class=\"a2a_button_linkedin linkedin-btn-hover\"><i class=\"icomoon-icon icon-linkedin\"><\/i><\/a><br \/>\n<a class=\"a2a_button_whatsapp whatsapp-btn-hover\"><i class=\"icomoon-icon icon-whatsapp\"><\/i><\/a><br \/>\n<a class=\"a2a_button_email\"><i class=\"icomoon-icon icon-envelope\"><\/i><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"#\" class=\"print-btn\"><i class=\"icomoon-icon icon-printer\"><\/i><\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"large-shrink\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/arabnews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" class=\"twitter-follow-button\" data-show-count=\"false\" data-show-screen-name=\"false\">Follow @arabnews<\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\" itemprop=\"articleBody\" data-io-article-url=\"https:\/\/www.arabnews.com\/node\/2289056\/saudi-arabia\">\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-1581406038831-5\">\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden\">\n<div class=\"field-items\">\n<div class=\"field-item even\">\n<p>\nRIYADH: In a touching video posted to the US Embassy in Riyadh\u2019s Instagram page, Martina Strong, the departing US charge d\u2019affaires, reflects on her memories and bids Saudi Arabia farewell after five years in service.<\/p>\n<p>\n\u201cDear friends, after nearly five years of leading and supporting the US mission to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the time has come for me to say farewell to all of you,\u201d Strong said.<\/p>\n<p>\n\u201cIt has been a distinct honor for me to work alongside our Saudi colleagues as we strengthen the US-Saudi partnership that begin over eight decades ago,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n<div class=\"media_embed\">\n<\/div>\n<p>\nA member of the Senior Foreign Service, Strong previously served in Iraq as political minister counselor in Baghdad, and as the US Army\u2019s political advisor in Basra.<\/p>\n<p>\nPrior to her arrival in Riyadh, she was the deputy chief of mission in Bulgaria and has also served in Poland, the Czech Republic, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and France.<\/p>\n<p>\nIn her video, Strong shared images of her travels to different parts of the Kingdom and the different people that she has worked with and met along her journey.<\/p>\n<div class=\"injected-block block-wrapper block-custom-bg padding-1 bottom-spacer--m\">\n<div class=\"block-title text-left separator-left-above style-v2\">\n<h4>\n<strong><span class=\"chars-style\">HIGH<\/span>LIGHT<\/strong><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"block-content\">\n<div class=\"with-separator\">\n<p>\n<strong>A member of the Senior Foreign Service, Martina Strong previously served in Iraq as political minister counselor in Baghdad, and as the US Army\u2019s political adviser in Basra.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\n\u201cCarrying forward our two countries\u2019 proud legacy has taken me to every corner of the Kingdom, and at every step I was greeted by warm welcomes and gracious Saudi hospitality,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>\n\u201cEverywhere Saudis generously shared with me their history, culture and vision for their future.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\nStrong added that the culture, art, music, tourism, sports, and high-tech sectors are the areas where there has been the greatest growth in the shared work between Saudi Arabia and the US.<\/p>\n<p>\n\u201cToday in every field Saudis and Americans are working together, learning together, conducting research together and performing together in concerts, films and athletic competitions,\u201d Strong said.<\/p>\n<p>\nDuring her time in the Kingdom, Strong has met with multiple Saudi officials to strengthen Saudi-US cooperation across sectors, including in entertainment, humanitarian relief, regional security, science and tech, and tourism.<\/p>\n<p>\nIn March 2021, Strong met with the Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority Turki Al-Alshaikh to discuss cultural cooperation in the entertainment sector between the two countries.<\/p>\n<p>\nIn the same year, she also held meetings with Saudi Arabia\u2019s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and the Kingdom\u2019s ambassador to the US, Princess Reema bint Bandar, with a visiting US delegation to discuss some of the most prominent regional and international issues of common interest.<\/p>\n<p>\nStrong has also met with Saudi Arabia\u2019s Human Rights Commission chief, Awwad bin Saleh Al-Awwad, to discuss the Kingdom\u2019s improved ranking in the US State Department\u2019s annual Human Rights Reports for the second year in a row, and the efforts of the National Committee for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings among other issues.<\/p>\n<p>\n\u201cThe opportunity to contribute to these efforts and strengthen the deep and enduring bonds between our nations has been my privilege and tremendous pleasure during the past five years,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>\nDuring her time in post, Strong amended and renewed a scientific and technical cooperation agreement with Dr. Mounir El-Desouky, president of King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, to help develop research and innovation and realize the Kingdom\u2019s Vision 2030.<\/p>\n<p>\nThe cooperation aimed to enhance the scientific and technical capabilities of the Kingdom and the US, and expand the scope of relations between the scientific and technical communities in both countries.<\/p>\n<p>\nThe departing envoy concluded her farewell video by thanking the Saudi people for welcoming her and her family during her stint in Riyadh.<\/p>\n<p>\n\u201cI will always treasure the time I\u2019ve spent here in Saudi Arabia \u2014 I wish you all a happy and healthy Eid Mubarak,\u201d Strong said.<\/p>\n<p>\nAs a part of her final round of official visits, Strong met with Waleed Al-Khuraiji, Saudi Arabia\u2019s deputy minister of foreign affairs.<\/p>\n<p>\nAl-Khuraiji praised her efforts in strengthening Saudi-US relations, and wished her success for the future.<\/p>\n<p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Senior US diplomat bids farewell to Saudi Arabia Martina Strong, Washington\u2019s departing charge d\u2019affaires, served in Riyadh for five years Updated 18 April 2023 Lama Alhamawi April 18, 2023 22:09 Follow @arabnews RIYADH: In a touching video posted to the US Embassy in Riyadh\u2019s Instagram page, Martina Strong, the departing US charge d\u2019affaires, reflects on 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