Washington:
U.S. President Joe Biden on Monday will host Jordan’s King Abdullah, a essential U.S. ally in a volatile area, in what will be the initial of 3 face-to-face meetings with leaders from the Middle East anticipated quickly.
Abdullah, who faced down a challenge to his authority in April from his half-brother, Prince Hamza, will have his initial Oval Office talks with Biden considering the fact that the U.S. president took energy in January.
He will also have a working breakfast with Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday at the vice president’s residence. He will meet Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the State Department on Tuesday.
Abdullah plays a one of a kind function in the Middle East, seen by U.S. officials as a moderate and pragmatic leader who can play a mediating function.
Abdullah is the initial Middle East leader to stop by the Biden White House, to be followed on July 26 by Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi. U.S. and Israeli officials are working on scheduling a meeting quickly in between Biden and new Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.
A senior Biden administration official mentioned the president’s talks with the king are anticipated to consist of the way forward for Israel and the Palestinians with Bennett getting lately replaced Benjamin Netanyahu as Israeli prime minister.
Tensions stay higher in the wake of the 11-day war in May in between Israel and Hamas militants in Gaza.
Abdullah’s standing in his personal nation may possibly come up in the talks. Jordan’s image as an island of stability in the turbulent Middle East was named into query immediately after Prince Hamza was accused of a plot to destabilize the nation in April.
Biden has presented complete help to Abdullah, who will be joined at the White House by his wife, Queen Rania.
“We have great confidence in the king’s leadership, and I think the visit over the course of the coming days will just reaffirm that confidence,” a senior Biden administration official mentioned.
Other subjects most likely to come up are the future of the Trump-era Abraham Accords, the normalization offers reached in between Israel and 4 Arab states, negotiations with Iran more than its nuclear plan and Syria’s humanitarian crisis, the official mentioned.
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