Riyadh Summits with the US Strong Signal of Positive Change – Saudi FM
Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir..
Riyadh, 22 Sha’ban 1438/19 May 2017 (MINA) — Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir on Thursday said that the three forthcoming summits with the US in Riyadh offer a strong signal of a positive change in the dialogue between the Muslim world and the west.
The first summit will be held between Saudi King Salman and the US President Donald Trump. A second one will follow for Trump and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, coinciding with the bi-annual consultative meeting of the bloc’s leaders.
A third summit will bring together Trump and the heads of state and leaders from Arab and Islamic states of the Islamic Alliance to combat terrorism.
Trump’s first visit to Saudi Arabic is a “historical event”, KUNA quoted Al-Jubeir as telling a press conference.
The visit will turn over a new page in the confrontation of extremism and terrorism, building a partnership that serves both sides, as well as quashes what is said about enmity between Islam and West, he said
On the US-Saudi summit, the Saudi chief diplomat said it would help enhance the strategic partnership between the two countries, noting that the Riyadh and Washington share the same view on the US global role, especially in the fight to eradicate terrorism, and combating Iran’s policies.
The US and the Kingdom also share views on regional issues, Syria, Iraq and Yemen, besides on intensifying bilateral trade and investments, Al-Jubeir said.
The Saudi and the American sides are expected to sign a host of a political and economic agreements. A businessmen forum will also be held during the visit.
Meanwhile, Al-Jubair said that his country is very optimistic about the positive evolution of bilateral relations and cooperation with the United States.
“We are very supportive of the Trump Administration policies,” Al-Jubair said, citing the administration’s recent missile attack on a Syrian airbase in response to the Syrian regime use of chemical weapons against civilians in Syria.
“The US offensive was a proof of its seriousness and its intention to take decisive and firm actions,” he said.
He pointed out that the Kingdom and the US share the same goals but there could be some differences in the approaches and tools to achieve these goals.
He noted that the US is seeking to scale back its military presence around the world, particularly in the Middle East.
“We believe that any reduction to the US role in the region would create a vacuum that could be filled by ‘forces of evil’, so there is a need to firstly intensify efforts to eradicate such forces,” he said, adding that the Trump administration is holding this view.
Al-Jubair also lauded the security, anti-terror and military cooperation between the two countries.
They are partners,not enemies
He added that the upcoming summit would be also a chance to show the strong relations between the US and the Muslim world and to affirm that they are partners not enemies.
The Saudi official noted that the leaders attending the summit would announce the foundation of a global anti-terror center in Riyadh to give impetus to the international efforts to counter extremism and terrorism.
A number of other initiatives would be launched on the sideline of the summits, including an initiative to dry up financial resources of terrorist groups and to boost youth, he said.
In response to a question about reports about the launching of a military coalition similar to the NATO, Al-Jubair said that such ideas are still under study.
There are already joint Gulf forces, known as the Peninsula Shield, and the Islamic Alliance Against Extremism and Terrorism, he pointed out.
On Iran, the Saudi top diplomat said that both Saudi Arabia and the United States have the same concern about Iran’s conduct in the region and its abidance by the provision of the nuclear deal signed with the West. (T/RS5/RS1)
Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)