Saudi Crown Prince: We agree with the Biden administration on 90 pct of issues
April 28, 2021, 9:09 am

Saudi Crown Prince: We agree with the Biden administration on 90 pct of issues

The Crown Prince spent the last portion of his nearly 1.5-hour interview focusing on his foreign policy doctrine and the future of the Yemeni conflict. (Supplied)

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said the Kingdom’s government agreed with the current US administration under President Joe Biden on 90 percent of issues but the sides are working together to find common ground on their disagreements.

“Like every family, brothers do not agree 100 percent on all issues and matters. This is similar when it comes to governments.

The difference, of course, between the American administrations the margin of difference may increase or decrease but we are in agreement throughout 90 percent of the policy of President Biden and we hope to enhance it one way or another,” Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said.

“The last was our adherence to the new group that has important objectives for clean energy and environment. Saudi Arabia was one of the countries that joined, And for the things we have some differences with them, about 10 percent, we try to neutralize the risk and reach an understanding about them,” he added.

The Crown Prince appeared on the Liwan Al Mudaifer Show to discuss developments in Saudi Arabia’s ambitious Vision 2030 plan. It marked the fifth anniversary of the plan, which aims to transform the Kingdom and prepare it for a post-hydrocarbon age.

The Crown Prince spent the last portion of his nearly one-and-a-half-hour interview focusing on his foreign policy doctrine and the future of the Yemeni conflict.

When asked to define his main foreign policy doctrine, the Crown Prince simply answered: “Our foreign policy interest is that of Saudi Arabia’s interests.”

The Crown Prince also spoke of his plans to find a political solution to the Yemeni conflict, saying that the Kingdom would not reject the presence of the Iran-backed Houthi militia at the negotiating table.

“While there is no doubt that the Houthis have a close relationship with the Iranian regime, there is no doubt that the Houthis are Arabs at the end of the day, and it is inevitable that they will have to work with their brothers to end this conflict,” the Crown Prince said.

Biden’s first foreign policy moves included halting support for what he called “offensive operations” in Yemen while simultaneously freezing arms sales to Saudi Arabia and removing the Houthis from Washington’s terror list.

The Biden administration also removed senior Houthi officials, including its leader, Abdel-Malek al-Houthi, from the Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) list.

The White House said it wanted to “recalibrate” its relationship with Riyadh, while US military officials continued to voice support for Saudi Arabia and the importance of bilateral ties.

As for the Yemen war, Biden appointed a special envoy and vowed to double down on diplomatic efforts to help reach a solution. Since being appointed by Biden, Special Envoy Tim Lenderking has continuously criticized the Houthis for escalating their military offensive on Marib and refusing to engage in constructive efforts to end the yearslong war.

Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, has distributed millions of dollars in aid to Yemen and increased its fuel shipments across the country.

source: Joseph Haboush

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