Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan have met to discuss an almost “finalised” draft of a deal between Washington and Riyadh, the Saudi state news agency says.
The meeting in the Saudi city of Dhahran reviewed “the semi-final version of the draft strategic agreements between the two countries, which are almost being finalised”, a statement reported on Sunday said.
The discussions come in the wake of reports that Washington and Riyadh are close to an agreement for US security guarantees and civilian nuclear assistance, even as an Israel-Saudi normalisation deal envisioned as part of the Middle East “grand bargain” remains beyond reach.
The de facto Saudi leader and President Joe Biden’s top security aide also discussed the need to find a “credible track for bringing about the two-state solution” for Israel and the Palestinians, stop the war against Hamas militants in Gaza and facilitate the entry of humanitarian aid, the statement said.
The White House said on Friday that Sullivan would visit Saudi Arabia and Israel to discuss bilateral and regional matters, including Gaza and efforts to achieve lasting peace and security in the region.
Saudi Arabia, as the world’s largest oil exporter, is not an obvious candidate for a nuclear pact typically aimed at building power plants.
But the kingdom is seeking to generate substantial renewable energy and reduce emissions under an ambitious long-term plan, while critics say Riyadh might want nuclear expertise in case it decides to acquire nuclear weapons, despite safeguards enshrined in any deal with Washington to prevent this.
AAP