President Biden and the White House said US-Saudi relations are on “solid footing” and that the President is targeting a July date to visit the Kingdom and meet with its top leadership, according to comments by the White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.
“Saudi Arabia has been a strategic partner of the United States for eight decades — every president since FDR has met with Saudi leaders, and the president considers Saudi Arabia an important partner on a host of regional and global strategies, including other efforts to end the war in Yemen, contain Iran and counterterrorism,” Karine Jean-Pierre said.
“Saudi pilots flew with ours in the war against ISIS, its Navy patrols with ours in the Red Sea and the Gulf, and U.S. military personnel are based in Saudi Arabia…As I’ve said, the president will meet with any leader if it serves the interests of the American people. That’s what he puts first.”
Jean-Pierre also added that the visit would involve agreements between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia.
“This trip to Israel and Saudi Arabia — when it comes — would be in the context of significant deliverables for the American people in the Middle East region,” Jean-Pierre added.
The White House press secretary said that reports the visit was moved from June to July were not accurate.
“People have been asking if it was postponed. The president said himself… that there was a visit in the works. But it wasn’t moved or postponed. That reporting was not accurate,” she said.
A June trip “was being considered but it was never locked in.”
She added that oil prices were “not the focus” of the forthcoming planned visit.
