Pompeo urges Saudi Arabia to establish ties with Israel
15 October, 2020
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called on Saudi Arabia to determine ties with Israel while speaking alongside the kingdom's Foreign Minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan.
Mr Pompeo hailed the UAE-Israel agreement to normalize ties, known as the Abraham Accords, throughout an ending up in Prince Faisal in Washington on Wednesday as part of the inaugural US-Saudi strategic dialogue.
“The Abraham Accords, brokered by President Trump, contribute greatly to your shared goals for peace and security and reflect a changing dynamic in your community," the secretary said.
Mr Pompeo said that change was "one in which countries really recognize the necessity for a regional co-operation to counter Iranian influence and generate prosperity".
He said he hoped Saudi Arabia would normalize relations with Israel and thanked the kingdom for its support for the Abraham Accord.
He announced that the united states planned to get a 10.5-hectare site for a fresh US embassy in Riyadh.
“This project, together with the recent opening of a new consulate in Jeddah and the ongoing construction of a fresh consulate in Dhahran, represents a US investment of over $1 billion,” Mr Pompeo said.
75 years of relations
Mr Pompeo and Prince Faisal highlighted the destabilizing effect of Iranian support for the Houthi rebels in Yemen.
Saudi Arabia leads the Arab Coalition fighting to revive the internationally recognized government of President Abd Rabu Mansur Hadi after a Houthi coup in 2014.
“We’re likely to discuss our joint efforts to market regional stability and security, and address common threats, including the Iranian regime continuing its destabilizing behavior,” Prince Faisal said.
“The Iranian regime continues to provide financial and material support to terrorist groups, including in Yemen where the Houthis have launched a lot more than 300 million Iranian-made ballistic missiles and drones towards the kingdom.”
Mr Pompeo said that the Houthi attacks justified the “robust program of arms sales to Saudi Arabia, a type of effort that helps protect its citizens and sustain American jobs".
The US secretary approved an $8.1bn emergency arms sale to Saudi Arabia and the UAE this past year, citing the Yemen war.
This season marks the 75th anniversary of former President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s secret ending up in the late Saudi King Abdulaziz aboard the USS Quincy.
That meeting first established ties between Washington and Riyadh.
Source: www.thenationalnews.com
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