US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will be accompanying US President Joe Biden as he embarks tonight on his first trip to the Middle East as president, the State Department announces.
Blinken has long been expected to join Biden, though today’s statement is the first official confirmation from the Biden administration.
Blinken will accompany Biden in Israel, the West Bank and Saudi Arabia.
The State Department says the administration’s goals for the trip are to “consult with Israeli, Palestinian, Gulf and regional partners on a range of priorities, including deepening U.S. ties across the region, regional security, support for a two-state solution, and countering shared threats, including those posed by Iran.”
While in Saudi Arabia for the GCC+3 summit, Biden and Blinken will “discuss integration efforts to support regional stability and prosperity as well as other shared interests,” the State Department says.
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