US President Joe Biden faced criticism when it was announced that he would be traveling to Saudi Arabia. Biden recently defended the decision to visit, stressing that human rights are on his agenda in his upcoming overseas engagement.
Reuters reports Biden said Saturday that human rights were on his agenda when he defended the decision to travel to Saudi Arabia. The US leader made the comments when he gave a preview of his upcoming trip in the hopes of resetting ties with Saudi Arabia’s crown prince, whom he previously described as a “pariah.”
The criticism came as US intelligence previously reported that the Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman was responsible for the murder of his political opponent, Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi back in 2018.
In his visit, Biden would be speaking with Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz as well as meeting with the crown prince, who is also the country’s de facto leader.
In his piece for the Washington Post, Biden said his goal was to reorient rather than rupture relations with Saudi Arabia, a longtime US strategic partner.
“I know that many who disagree with my decision to travel to Saudi Arabia. My views on human rights are clear and long-standing, and fundamental freedoms are always on the agenda when I travel abroad,” Biden wrote.
“I will be the first president to visit the Middle East since 9/11 without US troops engaged in a combat mission there. It’s my aim to keep it that way,” said Biden, who will be visiting Israel first during his trip.
Biden needs the help of Saudi Arabia at a time when the world is facing increasing gas prices that were worsened by the war in Ukraine.
In other related news, Biden spoke with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida Friday last week, expressing outrage over the assassination of former prime minister Shinzo Abe, who was fatally shot while campaigning for a parliamentary election.
The US leader also extended his condolences following the assassination.
“I am stunned, outraged, and deeply saddened by the news that my friend Abe Shinzo, former Prime Minister of Japan, was shot and killed while campaigning. This is a tragedy for Japan and for all who knew him,” said Biden in a statement. “Even at the moment he was attacked, he was engaged in the work of democracy.”