Global Arab Network | Saudi King, US President summit tackles Mideast peace & international issues

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Saudi King, US President summit tackles Mideast peace & international issues

- Ahmed Gamal

Monday, 28 June 2010 23:00

Saudi-US summit between Saudi King Abdullah and US President Barack Obama to discuss a host of regional and international issues, ranging from the Mideast peace process, Iran, Yemeni, Afghanistan and terrorism.

Tuesday summit talks, the third in 18 months, reflected the special relations between the US and Saudi Arabia, and Washington's desire to maintain these ties.

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said Obama and King Abdullah would explore ways to further cement bilateral relations, security in the Gulf region and the Middle East peace process.

The Saudis say Obama has not put enough pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to impose a total freeze on Israeli settlements on occupied Arab land, an obstacle to the resumption of peace talks. Netanyahu meets Obama on July 6.

"The king wants to have from Obama the assurance that he is going to solve the (Middle East peace) issue," said Khaled Al-Maeena, editor of the Saudi daily Arab News and a member of the king's delegation.

"I think it's time for the Saudis and all Arabs to tell the Americans that the situation cannot go on forever with the so-called peace process," said Khaled al-Dakhil, a Saudi political analyst.

Saudi Arabia was the lone Arab country attending te G20 summit in Toronto, Canada. Summiteers discussed how to address impacts of the global financial crisis and how to deal with the Iranian nuclear file.

US Ambassador in Riyadh James Smith said King Abdullah's visit was "very important" as both countries were facing common challenges which required more cooperation and solidarity.

Obama-Abdullah meeting is important also because it followed the Israeli attack against the Gaza-bound freedom flotilla that killed nine Turkish peace activists and injured many others. The attack triggered more international pressure upon Israel to lift the three-year-old siege on Gaza.

The US Administration will ask King Abdullah to bring about unity among the Palestinian factions in order to push forward the peace process, a US official said.

He told KUNA the Saudi Monarch's visit was a good opportunity to listen to what the Arab side has to say about the future of the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, ahead of Obama's meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu here next week.

A US diplomat who served in American embassies in the Arab region said Obama's administration learned a lot from its last year's mistakes with regards to what it wants or request from its allies.

He was referring to Obama's request from King Abdullah, during his visit to Saudi Arabia last year, to take confidence-building measures towards the Israelis.

The Arab peace initiative, which was approved by Arab countries in 2002, will be among issues to be discussed on Tuesday.

The diplomat, speaking to KUNA, said both leaders would discuss "threats posed by Iran on the two countries." Saudi Arabia seeks a Middle East region free of nuclear weapons.

US media outlets, on the other hand, quoted defense sources as saying King Abdullah would sign a contract to buy 72 F-15 jet fighters.

The US diplomat, meanwhile, said with Obama would be asserting progress in his Afghanistan strategy, and would emphasize that the solution in Afghanistan would be political not military coupled with rising Saudi role in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Washington widely believes that Saudi Arabia can play a key role in blending the Taliban into the political process in Afghanistan.

Obama and King Abdullah will also discuss Yemen and means to supporting the government in Sanaa tackling terrorism, cultural relations and commercial ties.

The Saudi-U.S. friendship has not only continued but has weathered many storms, including numerous regional and global conflicts and crises, developing into a relationship that today spans the fields of politics, economics, education, technology and other areas of human endeavor. And as the relationship of these two nations matured, it has reflected the ideals of independence, justice and peace that are cornerstones of the United Nations Charter.

On July 31, 2003, Saudi Arabia and the United States signed an agreement to strengthen commercial and investment relations. As a result, the U.S.-Saudi Council for Trade and Investment was established to meet at least once a year to enable representatives of both countries to review the signing of additional agreements on trade, protection of intellectual property rights, investment, vocational training and environmental issues. With almost 300 joint ventures, American companies are the largest group of foreign investors in the Kingdom.

It is worth mentioning that the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia will use its Twitter feed, @SaudiEmbassyUSA, to share news and information about the visit of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz to the United States on June 29.

Tweets from @SaudiEmbassyUSA will highlight Saudi Arabia's involvement in the G-20 Summit, as well as items of interest about the long-standing Saudi-U.S. relationship.

In addition to Twitter, the Embassy has expanded its social media content to YouTube, www.youtube.com/saudiembassyusa. Posted you will find press conferences and video related to the Saudi Arabia, as well as third-party speeches and interviews. (Reuters, KUNA, Saudi Embassy, Saudi News, Photo: archive)

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