US President Joe Biden told Arab leaders on Saturday that Washington would remain fully engaged in the Middle East and would not cede influence to other world powers.
“We will not walk away and leave a vacuum to be filled by China, Russia or Iran,” Biden said during the Jeddah Security and Development Summit.
The summit, the final stop on Biden’s Middle East tour, brought together the six members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) as well as Egypt, Jordan and Iraq.
Biden had been looking to use it to discuss volatile oil prices and outline his vision for Washington’s role in the region.
On Friday, he met Saudi King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed chaired the opening session of Saturday’s summit.
In his remarks on Saturday, Biden told the assembled Arab leaders that “the future will be won by countries that unleash the full potential of their populations… where citizens can question and criticise leaders without fear of reprisal”.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has exposed a once unthinkable divergence between Washington and key Middle East allies Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the oil giants that are increasingly independent on the international stage.
At the event, Kuwait’s Crown Prince Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah said the GCC countries, including Kuwait, will continue to work to strengthen the strategic partnership with the United States.
Iraq’s Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi said his country continues the dialogues to keep away the weapon of mass destruction in the region. It will also working to bring peace in the region.
Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad said the Ukraine crisis may lead to humanitarian crisis. Qatar will ensure continuous energy supply to the world, he added.
Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa urged the leaders to join hands to find solutions to Palestinian and Yemeni crises.
(With AFP inputs)
