Obama to visit Saudi Arabia
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UNITED States President Barack Obama will cut short his three-day trip to India and visit Saudi Arabia to pay his respects after the death of King Abdullah, US and Indian officials said yesterday.
The schedule change, announced shortly before Obama left for India, means the president will skip plans to see the Taj Mahal, and instead pay a call on an influential US ally in the volatile Middle East.
The king, who died on Friday, was aggressive in trying to check the spreading power of Saudi Arabia’s chief rival, Iran. Obama visited the ailing monarch in his desert compound last March.
White House spokesman Josh Earnest said the president and first lady Michelle Obama will travel to Riyadh on Tuesday and meet with new Saudi King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud.
Vice President Joe Biden was to lead a US delegation, but the White House changed plans after determining that his trip coincided with Obama’s departure from India, Earnest said.
The more substantive portions of Obama’s trip to India appeared unlikely to change.
Obama is due to arrive today for meetings with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Relations between the two nations are strengthening after recent tensions. Obama and Modi developed a good rapport during the latter’s visit to Washington last fall.
While in India, Obama also plans to attend an economic summit with US and Indian business leaders.
His trip is expected to be heavy on symbolism and lighter on substantive advances, though climate change, economics and defense ties are on the agenda. Still, US and Indian officials appear to agree that even a symbolic show of solidarity would mark progress after recent difficulties.
While military cooperation and US defense sales have grown, Washington has been frustrated by India’s failure to open up to more foreign investment and to address complaints alleging intellectual property violations.
India’s liability legislation has also prevented US companies from capitalizing on a landmark civil nuclear agreement between the two countries in 2008.
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