Saudi Arabia ‘very encouraged’ by Trump position: Minister

Saudi Arabia is “very encouraged” by the approach that US President Donald Trump has taken on regional issues, said a senior Saudi cabinet minister.

"We are very encouraged by the position the Trump administration has taken," Khaled al-Falih, minister of energy, industry and mineral resources, told AFP on the sidelines of summits between the US president and Muslim leaders in Riyadh.

The Saudi official said Riyadh is “absolutely not” concerned about the brewing scandals that have come to beset Trump at home, touting the decades-old alliance between the two countries.

“Our relationship is with the United States of America and it has great leadership today," al-Falih said.

The Trump administration has recently been beleaguered by a string of domestic woes that intensified with his abrupt dismissal of FBI chief James Comey, whose agency was investigating possible links between the Trump campaign and Russia.

Some Democrats have begun to discuss methods for Trump's ouster and some have even speculated about his impeachment. Comey has agreed to publicly testify before a Senate committee.

Trump has also rattled many traditional US allies with his controversial policy proposals on trade and security.

Visit hailed as reset of relations 

However, Saudi Arabia has embraced Trump after bilateral relations with the US reached a low point under his predecessor Barack Obama. The Riyadh regime has been frustrated with a landmark nuclear deal Iran signed with the US and five other countries in 2015.

On Saturday, Trump and King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud signed a "strategic vision" agreement to bolster cooperation on military, economics and other areas.

"Today was a truly historic day in the relationship between the kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United States," Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said at a press conference with his US counterpart Rex Tillerson on Saturday.

"And we believe it's the beginning of a turning point in the relationship between the United States and the Arab and Islamic world."

Trump also signed an arms deal worth $110 billion with the Saudis, despite warnings he could be accused of being complicit in the regime’s war crimes in neighboring Yemen. The president also secured $200 billion of Saudi-backed investment over four years in the United States.

"Tremendous investments into the United States and our military community is very happy and we want to thank you," Trump said at a meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef.

Read more:

• Senator raps Saudi deal, cites Yemen carnage
• US-Saudi seal weapons deal worth $110 billion

Less than a year ago on the campaign trail, Trump vilified the Saudi influence on US foreign policy, openly accused the kingdom of being behind the 9/11 terror attacks, and demanded the US be paid for protecting the monarchy.

Experts say Trump’s selection of Saudi Arabia as his first overseas trip signals that he is willing to change his behavior and tone to embrace a country responsible for widespread human rights violations and an escalating humanitarian crisis in Yemen.

No other US president has made Saudi Arabia their first foreign visit.

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