WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 16th July, 2022) Saudi Arabia has committed to help in balancing the global oil market to help stabilize prices, the White House said after US President Joe Biden's talks with Saudi leaders in Jeddah, where they also finalized bilateral and international deals on 5G/6G development and space exploration, among other areas.
Biden and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman exchanged a fist bump instead of a handshake upon the president's arrival for the meeting in Jeddah, where the president said Saudi officials shared the sense of urgency about global energy security.
Biden is currently visiting the middle East partly to seek help in boosting oil production to halt rising gas prices, which he has repeatedly blamed on Russia's military operation in Ukraine.
"Saudi Arabia has committed to support global oil market balancing for sustained economic growth. The United States has welcomed the increase in production levels 50 percent above what was planned for July and August. These steps and further steps that we anticipate over the coming weeks have and will help stabilize markets considerably," the White House said in a statement on Friday.
Earlier in the day, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said there would be no announcement bilaterally on boosting oil production since action like that should be taken by OPEC+ countries.
The White House also said the US and Saudi Arabia are expanding cooperation in all fields of space exploration including human spaceflight and responsible behavior in outer space.
Biden welcomed the signing of a new Memorandum of Cooperation that will connect US and Saudi technology companies in the advancement and deployment of 5G and the development of 6G, the release added. Biden also welcomed bilateral agreements signed to expand sharing information on cybersecurity threats and activities of malicious actors to enhance the shared defense of both countries.
During the talks, Biden also raised concerns about human rights issues, including the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, which the US intelligence community has blamed on Saudi officials including the Crown Prince.
"He (Biden) also raised the egregious murder of Jamal Khashoggi, described the accountability measures the United States has put in place in response, and received commitments with respect to reforms and institutional safeguards in place to guard against any such conduct in the future," the White House said.
The two countries also reaffirmed their commitment to preserving the free flow of commerce through strategic international waterways like the Bab al-Mandab and the Strait of Hormuz. The US affirmed it would accelerate cooperation with Saudi Arabia and other partners in the region to counter unmanned aerial systems and missiles, the release added.
In addition, according to the White House, the two delegations held a detailed discussion of the situation in Yemen and committed to taking steps to extend and strengthen the UN-mediated truce.
