Saudi says absence at Camp David 'not a snub to US'

Saudi Arabia's new foreign minister has said that King Salman's last-minute decision not to attend a Camp David summit of US and allied Arab leaders later this week was not intended as a snub to Washington.

"This is not related in any way, shape or form to any disagreement between the two countries," Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir told reporters on Monday at Saudi Arabia's embassy in the US capital.

In a statement on Sunday, Jubeir had said Thursday's summit coincides with a humanitarian ceasefire in the conflict in Yemen, where a coalition of Arab nations are fighting Houthi rebels.

The annoucement was interpreted by some as a deliberate rebuff to US President Barack Obama, at a time when ties between the allies have been strained by Saudi opposition to a proposed US nuclear deal with Iran.

But Jubeir, until recently the Saudi ambassador to Washington, said this idea was "really off base" and that the replacement delegates were "the right people" to represent Riyadh at the meeting in Maryland.

The foreign minister said Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, who is also interior minister, would lead the Saudi delegation and the king's son, Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is defence minister, will also attend.

In a statement on Monday, the White House said the king had called US President Barack Obama to "express his regret at not being able to travel to Washington".....http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/05/saudi-absence-camp-david-snub-150511200141109.html
12/5/15
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