On a visit to strengthen connections with the longstanding ally, which has developed tighter relationships with Washington’s adversaries, US State Secretary Antony Blinken spoke with the Saudi Arabian crown prince about rights for people on Tuesday.
During his three-day stay in the oil-rich country, Blinken will also discuss attempts to resolve the disputes in Sudan and Yemen, the united campaign over the Islamic State group (IS), and relations between the Arab world and Israel.
His visit coincides with a period of rapidly shifting Middle Eastern alliances, which are concentrated on a reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Iran, two major players in the area, that was arranged by China in March.
Another significant development was the Arab League’s invitation of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad last month, the first occasion throughout the beginning of the 12-year civil war during which his regime has had support from Russia and Iran.
The two men had a wide, honest conversation which addressed a broad spectrum of regional and bilateral problems when Biden met with Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman late on Tuesday, a US official said on a basis of confidentiality.
Both generally and in relation to particular situations, the secretary brought up human rights.
Discussions at the hour-and-a-half-long discussion included Saudi Arabia’s backing of US evictions from Sudan, the necessity of political engagement in Yemen, and the possibility of normalising ties with Israel.
Blinken arrived in Jeddah, a city on the Red Sea, on Tuesday night, and is scheduled to go to Riyadh on Wednesday for a GCC conference.
The trip is Blinken’s first since the country’s diplomatic relations with Iran were restored. Iran is seen as a pariah by the West due to its disputed nuclear programme and its participation in regional crises.
The accord that was signed in China, the burgeoning power-making advances in the Middle East, received hesitant approval from the United States.
The 2018 assassination of dissident writer Jamal Khashoggi seriously soured US-Saudi relations, which had long been focused on energy and military.
When Saudi Arabia, the largest oil exporter in the world, declined to assist in bringing down the rising cost of energy following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February of last year, Washington was also outraged.
Rights advocates asked Blinken to voice their concerns, notably Abdullah Al-Qahtani, a citizen of the United States whose father, Mohammad Al-Qahtani, was imprisoned for 10 years after starting a civil rights organisation in Saudi Arabia and is still missing.
The 37-year-old Prince Mohammed has pursued an autonomous foreign policy course and will be hosting Nicolas Maduro on Monday.
After a seven-year break, Iran, a longtime adversary of the United States and Israel, reinstalled its embassy in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.
Even so, the US and Saudi Arabia maintain tight strategic ties, particularly in the area of defence: Washington has long given Riyadh assurances of safety from Iran’s Shiite government, and Riyadh also purchases state-of-the-art US weapons.
Efforts to broker a long-lasting ceasefire in Sudan’s eight-week battle have been tightly coordinated by US and Saudi diplomats, though so far without success. Saudi assistance was essential in the evacuation of thousands of expatriates from the conflict area.
The two partners are also involved in the ongoing conflict with IS, a terrorist organisation that has forfeited all of its Middle Eastern territories but is becoming more and more active in portions of Africa.
They are also talking about ways to put an end to the violence in Yemen, where the government has been receiving military assistance from an alliance led by Saudi Arabia in its struggle with Iranian-backed Huthi rebels.
The United States also anticipates that Saudi Arabia will ultimately consent to Israel’s call for the normalisation of relationships with other Arab nations as a result of the Abraham Accords, which were mediated by the Trump administration.
Blinken reaffirmed that “the United States has a real national security interest in promoting normalisation between Israel and Saudi Arabia” on the final day of his trip to Saudi Arabia.
He claimed that Washington had “no illusions” about how quickly or easily this can be accomplished.
Saudi Arabia has up until now insisted that before Israel can acknowledge a Palestinian state as sovereign.
About Us:
Runway Pakistan is a complete solution provider for all your marketing communications-related requirements. The ultimate hub of infotainment – Runway composes of all the key offerings – Monthly Print Magazine, Digital Magazine, Media Production, Creative Agency, PR Agency, and Marketing Consultancy that a brand needs to be seen, heard, and known!
Like and follow our Facebook page:
Read our previous article:
ILMA University Ranked 2nd Best in Pakistan by Times Higher Education UK
