Trump visit proof of US commitment to Muslim nations: Experts

RIYADH: US President Donald Trump, who is making his first foreign visit starting with Saudi Arabia, will arrive here today to hold talks with King Salman on a range of key issues, including Iran, Syria, Yemen, terrorism, the Middle East peace process, as well as ways and means to further strengthen Saudi-US ties.
Trump will attend three high-profile summits during his stay in Riyadh, including a GCC-US Summit and an Arab-Islamic-US Summit on Sunday.
“President Trump’s visit to the Kingdom is very important in the shared goal and efforts to fight terrorism and bring safety, and stability in the Middle East,” said member of the Shoura Council Mona A. Almushait here Friday.
“Trump’s meetings in Riyadh are essential to our national security and to the global stability, particularly because there will be discussions on measures to take to confront the Iranian aggression,” she added.
Almushait said that “Saudi Arabia, the largest stable economy in the Middle East, is characterized by its active membership in the club of G-20 states.”
“The Kingdom and the US enjoy strong economic and trade relations supported by common interests,” she said, adding that several agreements are expected to be signed during the US president’s visit.
Trump’s first stop on this first visit abroad is Saudi Arabia, after which he will go to Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories, and Italy.
The eight-day trip will also see him go to attend the NATO Summit in Belgium and the G-7 Summit of major industrial nations, to be held in Italy.
Almushait said: “I am delighted that President Trump is visiting Saudi Arabia. This is the first time a US president has chosen a Muslim nation for his first foreign trip, a gesture that demonstrates America’s commitments to and support for Muslim nations,” she added.
“I would also like to mention that we have an active Saudi-American Friendship Committee in the Shoura Council that aims and strives to further strengthen the relationship between Saudi Arabia and the US, and enhance the understanding between the two counties,” she said.
Reinforcing the belief that the visit of the US president to Saudi Arabia is significant, German Ambassador Dieter W. Haller said: “Trump’s visit is very important for the security architecture in the region, and underlines the pivotal role the Kingdom is playing in the region.
“I understand that the fight against terrorism and extremism will be the main focus of the visit and this is very good news,” said Haller.
He added: “We can only fight terrorism successfully if we all — Arabs, Muslims and non-Muslims, Europeans, Americans — stand together.
“International security cooperation but also the joint fight against extremist ideas require the bundling of all our efforts,” said the German envoy, adding that these issues were also the focus of discussions during the recent visit of German Chancellor Angela Merkel to Saudi Arabia.
Emphasizing the need for strong international collaboration with the Muslim world to fight the menace of terrorism, Portuguese Ambassador Manuel Carvalho said: “I hope the very significant meetings President Trump will have in Riyadh will create the foundation for a better mutual understanding for all involved and for a stronger action in confronting the common challenges, including terrorism and regional instability.”
Carvalho’s views were echoed by Turkish Ambassador Yunus Demirer, who welcomed the fact that the Arab-Islamic-US Summit will be held in Riyadh during the US president’s visit.
Demirer said that “Turkey stands with Saudi Arabia, the US and its allies in the Muslim world for unified efforts to fight terror and terrorist groups.”
He said that “Ankara supports the aims and objectives of the Arab-Islamic-US Summit, which seeks to work toward the establishment of a new partnership to confront extremism and terrorism, and reinforce the values of tolerance and coexistence.”