WASHINGTON. President Biden said Friday he has “no direct plans” to travel to Saudi Arabia later this month, but he could meet with Israeli and Arab leaders as the US and Saudi Arabia seek to reset their strained relationship.
Mr. Biden, speaking to reporters in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, said he was “trying to bring more stability to the Middle East” and that a trip to the region was possible.
See also: Biden decides to travel to Saudi Arabia as OPEC+ boosts oil production
“I expect Saudi Arabia to be included if I go, but I don’t have any direct plans at the moment,” he said.
Biden is expected to travel to Europe at the end of June to attend meetings of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the G-7 group of major advanced economies. The White House weighs stops in Saudi Arabia and Israel as part of the route.
Mr. Biden’s possible trip to the Middle East comes as the Saudi-led OPEC and its allies agreed this week on a larger-than-expected increase in oil production, allowing Riyadh to potentially produce more oil. Saudi Arabia has also agreed to extend a two-month truce with Iranian-backed Houthi fighters in Yemen, where the kingdom is embroiled in a costly and unpopular seven-year war.
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