Abuja – Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, has described her recent engagement with the new Saudi Ambassador to Nigeria as “very constructive”.
In a post on X, Mrs Odumegwu-Ojukwu welcomed His Excellency Yousef Bin Mohammed Al-Balawi and emphasised the longstanding and cordial relations between the two countries. Diplomatic ties were established in 1961, since when Nigeria and Saudi Arabia have maintained steady political contact, along with close bilateral and multilateral cooperation and effective coordination on pilgrimage matters.
The minister said Ambassador Al-Balawi was committed to working closely with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to elevate the partnership to a more strategic and outcome-focused level.
The meeting reflects the mutual desire of both nations to build on decades of friendly relations, particularly in political, economic and religious spheres, including support for Nigerian pilgrims undertaking the annual Hajj.
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