US President Joe Biden, who is visiting the Middle East, will move to Saudi Arabia, one of the world's leading oil-producing countries, to meet with leaders on the 15th of Japan time.
With gasoline prices remaining at record highs, we will be on the verge of improving relations with Saudi Arabia, which has been criticized for human rights issues.
President Biden, who is visiting the Middle East, will hold a summit meeting with Palestinian Authority Chairman Abbas in Bethlehem on the west bank of the Jordan River on the 15th.
At the meeting, we will provide support to medical institutions in Palestine, and we hope to improve the relationship that deteriorated during the Trump administration, which promoted policies closer to Israel.
After that, President Biden will move to Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil exporter, to meet with King Salman and Crown Prince Muhammad.
The Biden administration has so far accused Prince Muhammad of being involved in the killing of journalists who are critical of the government, but with gasoline at record highs, he has sought to improve relations with Saudi Arabia. It will be cut.
There have been criticisms that President Biden's visit is downplaying human rights issues, and attention is focused on whether to shake hands with Crown Prince Muhammad at the meeting.
He will also attend a meeting with leaders of oil-producing countries such as the members of the GCC = Gulf Cooperation Council on the 16th in Saudi Arabia to call for an increase in crude oil production.
Why improve relations with Saudi Arabia?
Saudi Arabia in the Middle East, visited by President Biden of the United States, is the world's largest crude oil exporter and is in a position to lead the OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries), which is made by major oil producing countries.
Saudi Arabia, along with Russia, has a great influence on the production adjustment group called "OPEC Plus", which includes oil-producing countries that are not members of OPEC.
In 2020, OPEC Plus undertook a drastic coordinated production cut in response to the historic fall in crude oil prices, but after that, it gradually recovered its production volume and entered the market, approaching the previous production volume. It seems that the future of the production policy is drawing attention.
The United States, which is suffering from record high gasoline prices, aims to improve relations with Saudi Arabia and cooperate to increase production ahead of discussions on OPEC Plus' production policy scheduled for next month.
However, although Saudi Arabia seems to want to elicit cooperation from the United States in return for the increase in production, if the increase in production causes a sharp drop in crude oil prices, it will be judged carefully because national revenues will be hit. Will be.
Reporter's former fiancé "only increases sadness and despair"
The U.S. Biden administration has criticized the Saudi government over the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who wrote a critical article on the Saudi government, in Turkey in 2018 by Saudi officials and others.
But this time, Mr. Biden's fiancé Hatige Jengiz told Twitter, "Dear President Biden, this visit, about President Biden's visit to Saudi Arabia and taking the lead in improving relations without the truth of the case being unraveled. Instead of healing our anguish and sorrow through justice and accountability, we only increase sorrow and despair. "