Manama Dialogue: Saudi FM denies Riyadh is changing alliances, says relations with US are ‘ironclad’
Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir on Saturday denied media reports
that Saudi Arabia intended to shift its alliance away from the United
States and the West.
“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has a strategic relationship with the
United States that goes back to the 1930s, it was enshrined by a meeting
with the late King Abdulaziz and late Franklin Roosevelt,” Al-Jubeir
said.
“That relationship is ironclad. Saudi Arabia has been an ally of the
Western countries since the beginning of the third Saudi state … it’s
not going to change.
“Friends come and go but interests remain, this is how we look at our
relationship with the West in general and the United States in
particular.”
Al-Jubeir’s comments came in response to a question by Arab News on the
first day of the annual Manama Dialogue organized by the International
Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS). The foreign minister also
praised the current US administration’s Middle East strategy, especially
in relation to containing Iran.
President Donald Trump had been protecting US allies since he took
office, a foreign policy that was both “rational and realistic,”
Al-Jubeir said.
“He has defeated Daesh in Syria because he wasn’t hesitant about
deploying force. He has defeated Daesh in Iraq, when it took years for
the Obama administration to make any progress. He has put Iran on notice
that business as usual cannot continue, and imposed sanctions against
Iran.”
Addressing the murder this month in Istanbul of the Saudi journalist
Jamal Khashoggi, and the continuing investigation, Al-Jubeir said the
Saudi government was committed to finding all the facts, and was working
closely with the Turkish government to do so.
“We know a mistake was committed, we know that people exceeded their authority, and we are investigating them,” he said.
Eighteen Saudis have been arrested in connection with Khashoggi’s death,
and Turkey’s request for their extradition will not be granted,
Al-Jubeir said. “The individuals are Saudi nationals, they are detained
in Saudi Arabia, the investigation is in Saudi Arabia and they will be
prosecuted in Saudi Arabia.
“Unfortunately there has been hysteria in the media about Saudi Arabia’s
guilt before the investigation is completed. Wait for the results of
the investigation and then make a determination if the investigation is
serious or not, but not from the get-go.”
Earlier, US Defense Secretary James Mattis said Khashoggi’s murder
inside a diplomatic mission “must concern us all.” If any nation failed
to adhere to international norms and the rule of law, it “undermines
regional stability at a time when it is needed most,” he said, but he
also stressed the strength of Saudi-US relations: “We maintain our
strong people-to-people partnership knowing that with our respect must
come transparency and trust, as indicated by President Trump, Secretary
Pompeo and European leaders alike.
“These two principles are vital to continued collaboration because we
know that to remain committed, we’re going to have to continue
transparency and security for all in this region.”
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