President Joe Biden is headed to the Middle East this week, seeking to prod Saudi Arabia and the other oil producers in the region to pump more crude to help bring down energy prices. Bloomberg News reports that without a pledge from the Saudis and the United Arab Emirates — the two key members of OPEC — to boost production, Biden would lose a powerful tool for alleviating the economic and political pain caused by high fuel prices. Biden, who will first make a stop in Israel, is unlikely to encounter sympathetic crowds, especially after criticizing Saudi Arabia’s human-rights record while running for president.
Here’s what Bloomberg Opinion columnists and contributors have been saying about what Biden needs to accomplish during the trip and what’s at stake:
Biden Needs to Seek More Than Oil From Saudi Arabia
“In agreeing to visit Saudi Arabia, US President Joe Biden has stepped back from his vow to treat the country as a ‘pariah.’ Critics have blasted him for overlooking Saudi human-rights violations, including the brutal murder and dismemberment of former Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. In exchange, Biden has won only a token increase in oil production that won’t do much to lower gas prices at home. Even so, Biden’s trip can serve a valuable purpose. Healthy US-Saudi ties are critical to calming a volatile part of the world and stabilizing global energy markets.” — Bloomberg’s editorial board
No comments:
Post a Comment