Bin Salman Denies Biden Killing Journalist – US Expects Saudi Oil Supply Boost | News

During his 2020 election campaign, Biden had said he wanted to isolate Saudi Arabia over the murder of former US journalist Jamal Khashoggi. After all, according to Turkish and American sleuths and investigators of the New York Times newspaper, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered the murder of the journalist in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018.

Biden greeted the Saudi crown prince today with a fist. In a subsequent conversation, Bin Salman denied he was responsible for Khashoggi’s murder. He claimed that he had held those responsible accountable, Biden said afterwards.

During the talk, which also included other Saudi leaders, parties made “significant progress” on security and economic issues, Biden said. For example, there was agreement on the removal of peacekeepers from the strategically located island of Tiran, off the Saudi and Egyptian coasts. The troops have been stationed in Tiran since 1978, as part of that year’s accords that formed the basis for a peace agreement between Israel and Egypt.

Biden’s visit to the country did not immediately promise a production increase, but the Americans still expect the Saudis to push for an increase in oil supply. “Saudi Arabia is committed to balancing the global oil market for sustainable economic growth,” the president’s office said. “These steps and further steps that we expect in the coming weeks have and will significantly help stabilize the markets.”

High fuel prices at the pump have put Biden’s popularity with American voters under pressure. That is why, during his visit to Saudi Arabia, it was very important to him to encourage the large country to produce more oil. According to the US oil cartel OPEC, where the Saudis are the main party, still has sufficient production capacity to pump more oil to counter the high oil prices.

After the top-level meeting, the US and Saudi Arabia announced in a joint statement their willingness to work together to keep global energy markets stable. The two countries are also said to have concluded agreements for cooperation in the fields of aviation, defense, healthcare and renewable energy, Saudi state news agency SPA reported.

Biden received an extremely cool reception upon his arrival in Saudi Arabia on Friday, compared to his predecessor Donald Trump. Khalid bin Faisal, the governor of Mecca, and Reema bin Bandar, the US ambassador, were waiting at the airport in the coastal city of Jeddah on Friday. They are clearly inferior to the American president in terms of rank.

The cool reception recalls the visit of former US President Barack Obama, who was welcomed to Riyadh in 2016 by the local governor, Prince Faisal bin Bandar. Obama’s arrival was also not broadcast on Saudi state television, as is common with visits to the kingdom by heads of state and government. Not much earlier, King Salman was seen on the runway greeting other high-ranking representatives of neighboring countries from the region.

Donald Trump, who as US president had very good relations with those in power in the kingdom, was very warmly received during his visit to Riyadh in 2017. King Salman greeted Trump at the airport. Trump, for his part, joined in a sword dance and bowed deeply to the authoritarian ruler in Riyadh. The visit was full of warm and generous gestures.

The welcome is also in stark contrast to Biden’s reception in Israel, where not only President Yitzhak Herzog and Prime Minister Jair Lapid were waiting for him, but a celebratory ceremony was underway.