JEDDAH – US President Joe Biden has thanked the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for inviting to the Jeddah Security and Development Summit.
In his remarks to the summit on Saturday, Biden said the Middle East region had seen significant changes since his previous trip to the region when he was vice-president.
He deplored that some parties have attempted to challenge the current global order, with China stepping up its influence in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond, and Russia waging a brutal unjustifiable war against Ukraine.
For the first time since 9/11, a US president is visiting the region with no US troops participating in any combat missions in the region, Biden said, asserting the US commitment to deal with any security threats anywhere around the world.
He also stressed the US will maintain its counter-terrorism efforts in collaboration with a broad coalition of US partners.
“The US would remain an active, engaged partner in the Middle East,” Biden told leaders gathered at the Jeddah Security and Development Summit on Saturday.
“As the world grows more competitive and the challenges we face more complex, it is only becoming clearer to me that — how closely interwoven America’s interests are with the successes of the Middle East,” Biden said.
“We will not walk away and leave a vacuum to be filled by China, Russia, or Iran. And we’ll seek to build on this moment with active, principled American leadership,” added the US president.
He noted that the US new framework for the Middle East has five key principles, topped by supporting and strengthening partnerships with countries that subscribe to the rules-based international order.
“We will make sure that these — those countries can defend themselves against foreign threats,” he said.
Biden stressed that “the United States and each of the countries around this table are an essential part of that order because we reject the use of brute force to change borders.”
Biden also elaborated that “Supporting a rules-based order doesn’t mean we always have to agree on every issue, but it does mean we align around core principles that allow us to work together on the most pressing global challenges.
“For example, on food security, we are collectively committing billions of dollars to alleviate the crisis here in the region, with more than $1 billion coming from the United States,” he said.
“On energy security, we agree on the need to ensure adequate supplies to meet global needs. Energy producers have already increased production, and I look forward to seeing what’s coming in the — in the coming months,” Biden added.
As for the climate crisis, Biden said, “we’re collectively investing hundreds of billions of dollars in clean energy initiatives, increasing our climate ambition, and working together to diversify supply chains and invest in critical infrastructure.
“We’re looking forward to Egypt and the UAE hosting the next two major UN climate conferences,” he said.
“Second, the United States will not allow — will not allow foreign or regional powers to jeopardize the freedom of navigation through the Middle East’s waterways, including the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab al-Mandab. Nor will we tolerate efforts by any country to dominate another in the region through military buildups, incursions, and/or threats,” Biden told Arab leaders participating at the summit.
He went on to say that the free flow of commerce and resources through the Middle East is the lifeblood of a global economy, noting that when nations adhere to international rules, it works.
“So my administration has made it a priority to protect those vital waterways,” Biden said.
“We’ve established a new naval task force to work in partnership with many of your navies to help secure the Red Sea. That includes the first naval task force to use multi-manned [un-manned] surface vessels and artificial intelligence technology to enhance marine — maritime awareness,” he added.
“We’re also integrating air defenses and early warning systems to ensure that we can defeat airborne threats,” Biden said.
“Third, the United States will not just aim to deter threats of regional — to regional stability; we will work to reduce tensions, de-escalate, and end conflicts wherever possible,” he said, adding that “this approach is already reaping dividends.
“As was mentioned: In Yemen, working closely with Saudi Arabia, Oman, the UAE, and the UN, we forged a truce that is now in its 15th week,” Biden noted, welcoming the leadership of Iraqi Prime Minister Kadhimi to bring countries from the region together for talks in Baghdad.
“As we continue to work closely with many of you to counter the threats posed by — posed to the region by Iran, we’re also pursuing diplomacy to return constraints on Iran’s nuclear program,” Biden said.
He reaffirmed that the United States is committed to ensuring that Iran never gets a nuclear weapon.
Speaking about the fourth principle of the US new framework for the Middle East, Biden said the US will build political, economic, and security connections with partners wherever possible, while respecting each country’s sovereignty and independent choices.
“Integration, interconnection — these are the underlying themes of our meeting today,” Biden said, citing new energy projects linking the region, a new free trade deal and investments between neighbors, like the Saudi investments in Egypt and Jordan.
“The more we build these connections, the more we’ll see the benefits that return to our peoples and will grow,” Biden said, noting that the United States will always promote human rights and the values enshrined in the UN Charter.
“This is a table full of problem solvers. There are a lot of — there’s a lot of good we can do if we do it together,” Biden concluded.
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