By SEUNG MIN KIM and MICHELLE L. PRICE, Related Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — It’s not an official state go to, however the White Home is getting ready to host Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman subsequent week with the pomp and circumstance that’s typical of 1.
The crown prince’s day on the White Home subsequent Tuesday will start with an arrival ceremony on the sweeping South Garden and a subsequent greeting on the South Portico, in response to a senior White Home official.
Then Trump will host him within the Oval Workplace for a bilateral assembly, adopted by a signing and lunch within the Cupboard Room the place the U.S. and Saudi Arabia will formalize a number of financial and protection agreements, mentioned the official, granted anonymity to debate the administration’s planning.
Later within the night, the White Home will maintain an East Room dinner hosted and deliberate by first woman Melania Trump.
His go to is billed as an official working go to as a result of Prince Mohammed will not be technically a head of state, the official mentioned.
On Wednesday, dozens of CEOs are anticipated to attend a gathering of the U.S.-Saudi Enterprise Council on the Kennedy Heart, the high quality arts facility that’s now led and managed by Trump loyalists. Although the U.S. president’s attendance will not be but confirmed for the enterprise assembly, he’s more likely to attend, the senior White Home official mentioned.
Trump’s relationship with the Gulf nations has been a high overseas coverage precedence for the president in his second time period. His first main journey overseas was a tour of the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, the place Trump was welcomed with an exceptionally uncommon Air Power One escort by royal Saudi Air Power F-15s and a state dinner at a UNESCO heritage web site.
“I actually consider we like one another quite a bit,” Trump mentioned as he met with Prince Mohammed within the royal palace in Riyadh. Later, Trump described Prince Mohammed as an “unimaginable man” and “my pal.”
It additionally marks the primary journey to america by the crown prince for the reason that killing of Washington Publish columnist Jamal Khashoggi within the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul in 2018 throughout Trump’s first time period. U.S. intelligence companies have mentioned Prince Mohammed probably directed the killing, leading to sanctions towards a number of Saudi officers. He denies his involvement, and each the Trump and Biden administrations have labored to fix ties with Saudi Arabia since.
