MBS, Sullivan meet on Gaza, bilateral deal
2 Min Read
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman and White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan meet to discuss the Israeli war on Gaza and potential bilateral agreements.
-
White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan speaks during a press briefing at the White House on April 24, 2024, in Washington. (AP)
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman and White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan discussed a broad bilateral agreement and the Israeli war on Gaza, the Saudi state news agency reported on Sunday.
A statement read that the meeting in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, reviewed "the near-final version of the draft strategic agreements between the two countries, which are close to completion."
Washington and Riyadh have been negotiating US security guarantees and civilian nuclear assistance as part of a broader agreement aimed at normalizing relations with Saudi Arabia and "Israel."
The de facto Saudi leader and US President Joe Biden's top security aide also discussed the need to establish a "credible track for bringing about the two-state solution" for "Israel" and the Palestinians, end the war on Gaza, and facilitate the entry of humanitarian aid, according to the statement.
As per a Reuters report earlier this month, the Biden administration and Saudi Arabia have been working to complete the nuclear agreement.
On Friday, the White House said that Sullivan is set to visit Saudi Arabia and "Israel" to discuss regional matters, including Gaza and the necessary efforts to achieve lasting peace and security in the region. As the world's largest oil exporter, Saudi Arabia is not an obvious candidate for a nuclear pact typically aimed at building power plants.
Prior to the start of the war on Gaza, the Palestinian Authority had agreed for Riyadh to normalize relations with "Israel" without the granting of Palestinian statehood. That agreement came to a complete halt when "Israel" launched its genocidal campaign in Gaza.
On May 5, Sullivan told the Financial Times that the White House would not be signing a security agreement with Saudi Arabia without the latter agreeing to normalize ties with the Israeli occupation.
