Trump scandals no issue for Saudis, minister says

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — The scandals besetting US President Donald Trump at home have no bearing on an increasingly close relationship with Saudi Arabia, a senior Saudi cabinet minister says Sunday.

“Absolutely not. Our relationship is with the United States of America and it has great leadership today,” Khaled al-Falih, minister of energy, industry and mineral resources, tells AFP on the sidelines of summits between Trump and Muslim leaders from around the world.

“We are very encouraged by the position the Trump administration has taken.”

The past week has seen a string of major developments in Trump’s domestic woes, including the announcement that James Comey, the former FBI chief fired by Trump, has agreed to testify publicly about Russian interference in the US elections last year.

Some Democrats have begun to discuss methods for Trump’s ouster.

But Saudi Arabia is embracing Trump after disappointment with his predecessor Barack Obama’s perceived distance from the Middle East’s problems and a tilt toward Riyadh’s rival Iran.

— AFP

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