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As part of a diplomatic mission to normalise ties between Washington and the oil-rich kingdom following years of deteriorating disagreements on issues ranging from human rights to Iran, regional security, to oil prices, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The two agreed to “advance stability, security, and prosperity across the Middle East and beyond” during their Tuesday conversation, according to a statement released by US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller. Blinken also spoke with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. According to Miller, the commitment included attempting to bring about peace in Yemen.
The recent evacuation of US citizens from the war-torn Sudan and Saudi Arabia’s diplomatic efforts to end the fighting between rival Sudanese factions were supported in part by Saudi Arabia, who was thanked by Blinken for its support. He also emphasised that progress on human rights had strengthened bilateral relations between Washington and Riyadh.
Blinken is scheduled to meet with other top Saudi officials during his three-day tour, which will be Washington’s second recent high-level visit to the country. Jake Sullivan, the national security adviser for the White House, visited Saudi Arabia on May 7.
Following Saudi Arabia’s announcement to significantly reduce oil production just a few days prior to Blinken’s arrival, the two countries’ relationship is expected to become more tense.
Saudi Arabia and US President Joe Biden have frequently disagreed over Riyadh’s supply of crude oil to international markets, its willingness to work with Russia in OPEC+, and its decision to negotiate a detente with Iran through China’s mediation. The objectives of Blinken’s trip, according to observers, include restoring control over Riyadh’s stance on oil pricing, thwarting Chinese and Russian influence in the area, and fostering hopes for a future normalisation of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel.
The primary goal of Blinken’s visit, according to Richard Goldberg, a senior adviser at the Foundation for Defence of Democracies in Washington, DC, is to prevent stronger ties between China and Saudi Arabia.
According to Goldberg, “[Blinken should explain] why Chinese interests do not coincide with Saudi Arabia’s, and why closer ties in a strategic sense impede closer ties with Washington.”