The Freeman

Trump scandals nothing for Saudi

BRYAN ROY B. PADILLA

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The scandals be setting US President Donald Trump at home have no bearing on an increasing­ly close relationsh­ip with Saudi Arabia, a senior Saudi cabinet minister saidyester­day.

"Absolutely not. Our relationsh­ip is with the United States of America and it has great leadership today," Khaled al-Falih, minister of energy, industry and mineral resources, told AFP on the sidelines of summits between Trump and Muslim leaders from around the world.

"We are very encouraged by the position the Trump administra­tion has taken."

The past week has seen a string of major developmen­ts in Trump's domestic woes, including the announceme­nt that James Comey, the former FBI chief fired by Trump, has agreed to testify publicly about Russian interferen­ce in the US elections last year.

Some aggressive Democrats have begun to discuss methods for Trump's ouster.

Reports also emerged that Trump called Comey "a nut job" and that the FBI has identified a senior White House official as a "significan­t person of interest" in its probe of Russian meddling.

But Saudi Arabia has embraced Trump, after disappoint­ment with his predecesso­r Barack Obama's perceived distance from the Middle East's problems, and a tilt toward Riyadh's rival Iran.

Trump and King Salman on Saturday signed a "strategic vision" agreement to intensify ties in defense, economics and other areas.

"Today was a truly historic day in the relationsh­ip between the kingdom of SaudiArabi­a and the United States," Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said Saturday at a press conference with his US counterpar­t Rex Tillerson.

"And we believe it's the beginning of a turning point in the relationsh­ip between the United States and theArab and Islamic world."

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 ?? AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE ?? US President Donald Trump (center) attends a meeting with leaders of the Gulf Cooperatio­n Council at the King Abdulaziz Conference Center in Riyadh.
AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE US President Donald Trump (center) attends a meeting with leaders of the Gulf Cooperatio­n Council at the King Abdulaziz Conference Center in Riyadh.
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