The White House announced Saturday that Vice President Kamala Harris will travel to the United Arab Emirates on Monday, signaling a significant White House effort to ease tensions with the small, oil-rich Persian Gulf state.
The Emily's List National Conference and Gala will be held on May 3, 2022. The photo was taken by Patrick Semansky.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, CIA director Bill Burns, and the commander of U.S. Central Command, Gen. Michael Kurilla, will travel to the United Arab Emirates following the death of the country's president.
His half-brother, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, was quickly named the country's new president, but the change appears largely ceremonial since he began serving as defacto leader after Khalifa suffered a stroke.
The White House said in a statement that the Vice President would underscore the strength of the partnership between our countries and their desire to further deepen their ties in the coming months and years.
The visit by such a high-ranking group of U.S. officials to a nation of less than 10 million people underscores its strategic importance to the U.S., and comes amid growing tensions between the longstanding allies. After the invasion of Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates shied away from condemning Russia, choosing to maintain a status quo relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The U.S. security commitments to partners in the Middle East have been raised by the leaders of the United Arab Emirates. The slow pace of a sale of American-made F-35 fighter jets to the United States and the push from the United Arab Emirates for the Biden Administration to label the rebels in Yemen a terrorist organization highlight the frustration of the country. The U.S. banned the import of Russian oil in response to the UAE's refusal to increase production.
Harris will lead the U.S. delegation to the U.S.
The U.S. ties with the Gulf partner are being tested.
The relationship between the US and Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates hit a new low.
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