US President Joe Biden will participate in a summit to be held in Jeddah and bring together the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, in addition to Iraq, Jordan, and Egypt.
The White House announced Tuesday that Joe Biden will make his first visit as US president to Saudi Arabia, Israel, and the West Bank next month.
“Biden will begin his visit from Israel and also visit the West Bank to consult with the Palestinian Authority and to confirm his strong support for a two-state solution, with equal measures for security, freedom and opportunity for the Palestinian people,” the White House added.
For its part, the Saudi royal court announced on Tuesday that US President Joe Biden will visit the kingdom on 15 and 16 July, at the invitation of King Salman bin Abdulaziz.
It also clarified that Biden will meet with King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, according to the Saudi Press Agency.
The White House said that Biden will meet with King Salman and the crown prince, and will participate in the GCC summit, the session of which is chaired by the kingdom. In a statement, it said that this visit was prepared at the highest level and for months by senior officials and diplomats of the US administration.
White House spokeswoman Karen Jean-Pierre also explained that the US President will discuss with the Saudi King in Jeddah important regional and international issues, including Saudi-American efforts to end the war in Yemen and expand economic and security cooperation in the region.
Furthermore, Jean-Pierre pointed out that in addition to participating in the GCC summit, Biden will meet with officials from Jordan, Egypt and Iraq
She said that Biden will discuss regional issues in the kingdom, especially countering Iran, as well as the situation in Yemen and the importance of supporting the UN truce initiative, which led to the longest period of calm in seven years.
She added that issues of global food security and energy will be discussed, as well as the announcement of new initiatives, including naval missions in the Red Sea with the participation of the US Central Command.
