US Biden on Saudi Visit Question: "Not Decided Yet"

President Joe Biden [Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] U.S. President Joe Biden stated on the 11th (local time) that his visit to Saudi Arabia has not yet been decided.

According to Bloomberg News, President Biden, who is visiting Los Angeles to attend the Summit of the Americas, responded to reporters' questions about his Saudi visit plans by saying, "Not yet (decided)." When asked if he was considering improving relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel during his Middle East visit, he said, "Let's wait and see."

Earlier, media outlets such as CNN reported that President Biden is reviewing improving relations with Saudi Arabia to resolve oil price issues and is considering visiting Saudi Arabia on his way to Europe and Israel later this month.

However, President Biden said that if he visits Saudi Arabia, the topic of the meeting would go beyond energy. Although he did not specify the form of the meeting, Saudi Arabia is planning a Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit, which includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Since the presidential election period, President Biden has had friction by pointing to the possible involvement of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the killing of Jamal Khashoggi, a Washington Post (WP) columnist and Saudi dissident journalist. A White House official conveyed the atmosphere, saying, "It is important to reset relations with Saudi Arabia."

Facing the worst inflation ahead of the November midterm elections, President Biden is struggling. On this day, according to data compiled by the oil price information company 'OPIS,' the average price of regular gasoline in the U.S. surpassed $5 per gallon for the first time.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.