Barack Obama photo

Statement by the Press Secretary on the President's Travel to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom

March 16, 2016

President Obama, in the context of the previously announced travel to Germany, will visit the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on April 21. While there, he will participate in a Summit with leaders from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries – Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. Hosted by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abd alAziz Al-Saud, the gathering will be an opportunity for leaders to review progress in strengthening U.S.-GCC security cooperation since the productive Camp David Summit hosted by President Obama in May 2015. It will also provide an opportunity for leaders to discuss additional steps to intensify pressure on ISIL, address regional conflicts, and de-escalate regional and sectarian tensions.

The President will then travel to the United Kingdom, where he will be received in London by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor Palace for a private lunch. He also will be hosted by Prime Minister David Cameron at Number 10 Downing Street for a bilateral meeting and joint press conference. The visit will allow the President to offer his gratitude to the British Government and people for their stalwart partnership with his Administration and the American people throughout his Presidency.

The President will conclude his travel by visiting Germany, where, as previously announced, he will participate in the Hannover Messe – the world's largest trade show for industrial technology – and meet Chancellor Angela Merkel. The President's participation in the Hannover Messe – a first for a sitting U.S. President – presents an unique opportunity to showcase American innovation and ingenuity and to highlight the United States as a prime investment destination. This visit, which will be the President's fifth to Germany, underscores the enduring political and economic ties between Americans and Germans and highlights the U.S. commitment to trade and investment as drivers of job creation and economic growth on both sides of the Atlantic.

Related Images

Barack Obama, Statement by the Press Secretary on the President's Travel to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/313649

Simple Search of Our Archives