Secretary of State John Kerry said on Monday that US ties with Saudi Arabia are "strategic and enduring", insisting Washington and Riyadh shared the same goal in the Syrian crisis.

Secretary of State John Kerry said on Monday that US ties with Saudi Arabia are "strategic and enduring", insisting  Washington and Riyadh shared the same goal in the Syrian crisis.

"Our relationship is strategic, it is enduring and it covers a wide range" of issues, he told reporters as he wound up a visit to the kingdom aimed at easing tensions with the traditional ally over US policies on Syria and Iran.

"There is no difference in our mutually agreed upon goal in Syria," Kerry told a joint press conference with his Saudi counterpart, Prince Saud al-Faisal.

Prince Saud, meanwhile, said any proposed talks to end Syria's 31-month-old conflict could not go on forever.

"The kingdom realises the importance of negotiations to solve crises... But talks cannot go on indefinitely," he said, in reference to efforts to convene a US-Russian proposed peace conference.

He said that the kingdom, which openly backs the Syrian militants, wants a solution that would "bring an end to the tragedies."

Kerry and his Saudi host held the press conference following a two-hour meeting between the secretary of state and King Abdullah.

Ahead of the meeting, Kerry said Washington's relations with Riyadh should stay "on track."

"Right now we have some very important things to talk about to make certain the Saudi-US relationship is on track, moving forward and doing the things that we need to accomplish," he told embassy staff in Riyadh.

Kerry's visit to Riyadh was aimed at easing tensions triggered by US policy on Syria after it backed down from military action last month and by a fledgling outreach to Iran over its nuclear program.