U.S. national security advisor discusses pressing regional and global issues with Saudi and UAE leaders
The U.S. President Joseph Biden’s National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan traveled to Saudi Arabia and the UAE to meet senior leaders and discuss range of regional and global challenges.
Jake Sullivan was accompanied by National Security Council Middle East and North Africa Coordinator Brett McGurk and U.S. Special Envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking, the White House statement stated.
In Saudi Arabia, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan held meetings with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Interior Minister Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Nayef, National Guard Minister Abdullah bin Bandar, to discuss the war in Yemen, oil prices, global economic recovery, and other issues of mutual concern.
According to the White House statement, National Security Advisor Sullivan raised the issue of oil prices in conversations with the leadership of Saudi Arabia. The U.S. national security adviser and his team also reiterated the “imperative of creating conditions to support global economic recovery” and emphasized that “such conditions include having more oil on the market to stop rising energy prices and help the economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic”.
The United States continues to speak to international partners, including OPEC, on the importance of competitive markets in setting prices and doing more to support the recovery, the White House spokesperson highlighted.
In Abu Dhabi, national security advisor and his team met with UAE Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed and National Security Advisor Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed.
During the meeting, both sides discussed ties between the US and UAE, and ways to strengthen relations across various sectors. The leaders of both countries also discussed pressing regional and global issues, and agreed to enhance cooperation.
After meetings in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, Jake Sullivan travelled to Egypt and met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi in Cairo. The two sides also discussed Egypt’s human rights strategy, and the U.S. delegation emphasized the Egyptian government to stop crackdown on dissent, according to a senior White House official.
According to a statement from Egyptian President’s office, the meeting focused on regional tensions and the ties between Washington and Egypt, as well as reconstruction efforts for the Gaza Strip, and maintaining the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas following the 11-day conflict in May, 2021. During the meeting, both sides also discussed the situation in Libya as well as a dispute over a construction of dam by Ethiopia on the Blue Nile, the main tributary of the Nile River.
