​Obama, King Salman to discuss fight against terrorism

Saturday 16 Apr 2016 - 13:58 Makkah mean time-9-7-1437

Jeddah (IINA) – US President Barack Obama will hold talks with Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman next Wednesday in Riyadh, a day before his meeting with other leaders of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), with discussions likely to focus on questions of security and terrorism, and the conflicts in Syria and other countries. The talks will also figure the strategic business interests that are shared between the two countries.
Ashton Carter, US secretary of defense, would also meet with his counterparts from the Gulf countries on Wednesday, a day before the April 21 US-GCC summit, according to media reports quoting White House statements. Robert Malley, adviser to Obama, reportedly said that the US has reached an agreement with the GCC countries to fight terrorist organizations such as Daesh (the so called IS) in the region and facilitate transfer of vital defense capabilities, including strengthening the bloc’s ballistic missile systems.
“On all of those, I think you’ll see progress has been made, there’s been much deeper cooperation between us and the GCC,” Malley was quoted as telling reporters during a conference call. The president also wants to hear about ideas from King Salman and other leaders for dealing with economic issues, given the sharp drop in oil prices, Malley said. Obama has recently outlined the importance of Saudi Arabia in the fight against terror groups. 
His comments coincides with statements made by Abdallah Yahya Al-Mouallimi, ambassador of Saudi Arabia at the UN, who said the Kingdom is one of the countries leading the fight against terrorism. Addressing the UN Security Council, Al-Mouallimi said that terrorism had emerged as one of the most important threats for countries, communities and individuals of all races and religions. 
He stressed that the protection of civilians and steps to check the spread of sectarianism are not just moral obligations, but also extremely necessary. He said:“We are also watching with great concern the increasing hate crimes that lead to violence and terrorism against Muslims in the world.”
HA/IINA

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