Biden to meet MBS in Saudi Arabia mid July
3 Min Read
It is settled. the US President is visiting Saudi Arabia on a two-day trip scheduled for July 15-16.
-
The first day of the visit will be for bilateral talks (Reuters)
According to NBC News, the US and Saudi Arabia will announce on Tuesday that US President Joe Biden is going to visit the Kingdom in July.
Sources said the visit will include a meeting with the Kingdom's de facto leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and that the two-day trip is scheduled for July 15-16.
It is also reported that the first day will be for bilateral talks, including with MBS, while Biden is expected to meet with the Gulf Cooperation Council on the second day.
Biden had said on Sunday that his expected visit to Saudi Arabia will also address "Israel's" security issues.
Biden dismissed claims that his visit to Saudi Arabia will have to do with the Kingdom's oil exports, rather, the US President said it is part of a larger meeting that will take place in Saudi Arabia: "That’s the reason I’m going. And it has to do with national security for them — for Israelis," Biden told reporters.
“I have a program — anyway. It has to do with much larger issues than having to do with the energy piece,” he added.
The talks would "include support to the UN-mediated truce in Yemen, which has led to the most peaceful period there since war began seven years ago," the White House statement read, adding "means for expanding regional economic and security cooperation, including new and promising infrastructure and climate initiatives, as well as 'deterring threats' from Iran, advancing human rights, and ensuring global energy and food security."
According to The Times of "Israel", the US President's trip to the occupied territories has been set for July 14 and 15.
The White House statement stated that "he will meet with Israeli leaders to discuss 'Israel’s' security, prosperity, and its increasing integration into the greater region."
According to the statement, Biden will also visit the West Bank " to consult with the Palestinian Authority and to reiterate his strong support for a two-state solution, with equal measures of security, freedom, and opportunity for the Palestinian people."
White House Spokesperson Karen Jean-Pierre responded to a question earlier this month, on June 1, about previous statements made by Joe Biden against Saudi Arabia, which he described as a "pariah", saying the remarks still stand.
Biden has delayed his visit to West Asia a number of times so far, with Politico claiming that Biden "angrily rejected" the possibility of meeting with Mohammad bin Salman, the Saudi Crown Prince, before giving in later on.
