President Obama will host leaders from GCC states in Washington D.C. next month in a bid to strengthen U.S-Arab ties, according to statements by the White House and reports in The Hill and Politico.
“President Obama will welcome leaders from the Gulf Cooperation Council countries – Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates – to the White House on May 13 and to Camp David on May 14. The gathering will be an opportunity for the leaders to discuss ways to enhance their partnership and deepen security cooperation,” the White House said.
President Obama and Saudi Arabia’s King Salman.
According to a report in our sister website, SUSRIS, Saudi Arabia’s King Salman has been invited to attend but is not yet confirmed to attend. SUSRIS cites an exchange in an interview between Wolf Blitzer and Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to the United States, Adel Al-Jubeir:
[Wolf Blitzer] And would the new King of Saudi Arabia, King Salman, would he come to Camp David for this summit meeting?
[Adel Al-Jubeir] The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, welcomed the invitation by the President in the phone call they had recently and expressed his acceptance of it, subject of course to finding a date that works for all parties.
[Wolf Blitzer] So it’s not easy to find a date for all these leaders of all these Gulf states? Is that what you’re saying?
[Adel Al-Jubeir] I’m sure it will happen. It’s just a question of aligning everybody’s schedules.
[Wolf Blitzer] But he would come – the King would come, His Majesty would come to Camp David?
[Adel Al-Jubeir] This is what he informed the President.
President Obama and King Salman spoke by phone on Friday, April 17th to discuss recent developments in Yemen as the security situation there deteriorates. Saudi Arabia, with U.S. support and in concert with other GCC powers, have conducted daily airstrikes on Iranian-backed Houthi rebels across the country.
“The President reaffirmed the strong friendship between the United States and Saudi Arabia and underscored our commitment to Saudi Arabia’s security. The President and King Salman discussed the recent adoption of a resolution on Yemen in the United Nations Security Council and next steps in the effort to resume the political transition in Yemen, including talks facilitated by the United Nations. The President and King Salman agreed that our collective goal is to achieve lasting stability in Yemen through a negotiated political solution facilitated by the United Nations and involving all parties as envisioned in the GCC Initiative. The President and King Salman also discussed the importance of responding to the humanitarian needs of the Yemeni people,” the White House said.
