H M Sultan Haitham receives invite for GCC-US summit
Muscat – His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik has received a written message from King Salman bin Abdulaziz al Saud of Saudi Arabia, inviting him to attend an upcoming GCC-US summit in Riyadh.
The message was handed over to Sayyid Badr bin Hamad al Busaidi, Foreign Minister, when he received Saad bin Ibrahim Bishan, Saudi Ambassador to Oman, on Sunday.
Trump visit
King Salman's invitation to GCC leaders for the summit comes as US President Donald Trump is set to begin his Middle East tour from May 13, starting with Saudi Arabia, then heading to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
President Trump will present his vision for the US to have 'cooperative relationships' with the nations of the Middle East during his visit to the region, the White House stated.
Spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said Trump seeks to build out his vision for the region based on a 'a shared vision of stability, opportunity and mutual respect'. Sayyid Badr bin Hamad al Busaidi receives Saad bin Ibrahim Bishan, Saudi Ambassador to Oman, on Sunday
Trump will 'return to reemphasise his continued vision for a proud, prosperous and successful Middle East, where the US and Middle Eastern nations are in cooperative relationships, and where extremism is defeated in place of commerce and cultural exchanges'.
Karoline added, 'This trip ultimately highlights how we stand on the brink of the golden age for both America and the Middle East, united by a shared vision of stability, opportunity and mutual respect.'
The White House announced last month that Trump will visit the three GCC states from May 13 to 16. The trip was supposed to be his first abroad, but Pope Francis' death in April prompted him to travel to Rome for the funeral.
During the swearing-in ceremony of Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff at the White House last week, Trump told reporters that he is not planning on visiting Israel as part of his upcoming visit.
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