Antony Blinken spoke with Mohammed bin Salman about a “possible normalization” of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel, and the US diplomat addressed human rights in the Arab country.
The US Secretary of State spoke on Wednesday with the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia about human rights and the possible normalization of diplomatic relations between Riyadh and Israel.
The meeting, which began shortly after midnight (10:00 p.m. on Tuesday in Lisbon), in Jeddah, and lasted one hour and 40 minutes, found several points “of convergence (…) while recognizing, at the same time, divergences,” one said. a US official told Agence France-Presse (AFP) news agency.
In an “open and candid conversation”, Antony Blinken raised the issue of human rights “in general and on specific issues” with Mohammed bin Salman, said the official, who asked not to be named.
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the two leaders discussed a possible normalization of relations [da Arábia Saudita] with Israel and they agreed to continue the dialogue on the matter,” he added. The Abraham Accords, initiated by former US President Donald Trump, allowed several Arab countries to normalize relations with the Jewish state.
But Riyadh conditions any normalization on the recognition of a Palestinian state and it also requires US security guarantees.. The talks also focused on the conflict in Sudan, where the United States and Saudi Arabia have mediated but failed to impose several truces between the rival generals.
The United States said it was ready to resume talks in Jeddah, with envoys from both sides, if both sides “take seriously” their commitment to abide by the ceasefire, which would help provide humanitarian aid.
In a statement, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Blinken and Bin Salman reaffirmed their “commitment to stability, security, and prosperity in the Middle East and beyond,” including ending the conflict in Yemen.
Yemen, the poorest country on the Arabian Peninsula and ravaged by years of war, has enjoyed a period of calm since a UN-brokered truce in April 2022. Since 2015, Saudi Arabia has led a military coalition in neighboring Yemen. to support pro-government forces. forces against the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels.
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Blinken “also stood out” that the bilateral relationship “is strengthened with advances in human rights”added Matthew Miller. Relations between Washington and Riyadh are notoriously complicated, particularly since the 2018 assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents in Istanbul.
For his part, US President Joe Biden called for “a reexamination” of relations with Riyadh, following the kingdom’s decision last October to reduce oil production.
Source: Observadora
