Biden: I will not ask the Gulf states to increase oil production
The US president believes that all Gulf countries should increase oil production, “not just Saudi Arabia.”
US President Joe Biden said that the purpose of his upcoming visit to Saudi Arabia is not to persuade the kingdom to increase oil production.
Biden said in a press conference, Thursday evening, in the Spanish capital, Madrid, that he was “not sure” of meeting King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during his visit to the Kingdom in mid-July.
He indicated that he will meet with the king and the crown prince in a “much larger meeting” because the meeting is taking place “in Saudi Arabia and not around Saudi Arabia,” according to the American “Bloomberg” network.
In response to a journalist’s question about the possibility of asking Saudi Arabia to increase oil production, he said that he “won’t ask them to increase production,” noting that all Gulf countries should increase oil production in general, “not just the Saudis.”
Earlier, the White House announced that President Biden will make his first visit to the Middle East from July 13-16, including Saudi Arabia, the Palestinian territories and Israel.
Biden will also attend in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on July 16, a summit that includes the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council, in addition to Egypt, Iraq and Jordan.