Trump heaps praise on Saudi crown prince and highlights countries' business ties
From CNN's Betsy Klein in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
President Donald Trump heaped praise on Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and focused on dealmaking Tuesday as the leaders held a bilateral meeting, underscoring both countries’ efforts to develop close ties.
“I really believe we like each other a lot,” Trump said of the crown prince, touting their “tremendous relationship” and calling the visit an “honor.”
Trump said he was “so impressed” with MBS, calling him “very wise, wise beyond his years.” The crown prince has emerged as a key ally and a mediator in Trump’s efforts to end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, which has so far proven elusive. He has worked hard to cultivate close ties to Trump after his country was largely isolated due to the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
The US president heralded Saudi investment in the US, saying it would create “tremendous numbers of jobs.” He pointed to a previously announced $600 billion investment and joked that it will become “$1 trillion.”
Trump, who views himself as a dealmaker, has focused on publicly highlighting investment deals made during the trip instead of the more delicate and complicated geopolitical backdrop in the region — including the Hamas-Israel conflict and his team’s ongoing efforts to negotiate a nuclear agreement with Iran.
Joined by top officials from both countries, the leaders were seated at the head of a comically large ballroom with their teams on either side.
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