Biden defends decision to visit Saudi Arabia: 'It is my job to keep our country strong and secure'
CNN
President Joe Biden has defended his controversial visit to Saudi Arabia next week, saying the trip is critical to the security of the United States.
"As president, it is my job to keep our country strong and secure. We have to counter Russia's aggression, put ourselves in the best possible position to outcompete China, and work for greater stability in a consequential region of the world," Biden wrote Saturday in an op-ed for The Washington Post.
"To do these things, we have to engage directly with countries that can impact those outcomes. Saudi Arabia is one of them, and when I meet with Saudi leaders on Friday, my aim will be to strengthen a strategic partnership going forward that's based on mutual interests and responsibilities, while also holding true to fundamental American values," he added.
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