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Trump to visit Israel, Vatican and Saudi Arabia in first foreign trip as president Trump to visit Israel, Vatican and Saudi Arabia in first foreign trip as president
(35 minutes later)
Donald Trump’s first foreign trip as US president will include Israel, the Vatican and Saudi Arabia, a senior administration official said on Thursday.Donald Trump’s first foreign trip as US president will include Israel, the Vatican and Saudi Arabia, a senior administration official said on Thursday.
Trump will also attend a Nato meeting in Brussels on 25 May and the Group of Seven summit in Sicily on 26 May, the official said. It was known that Trump would also attend a Nato meeting in Brussels on 25 May and the Group of Seven summit in Sicily on 26 May.
Politico first reported the trip. But speaking in the Rose Garden of the White House on Thursday, Trump confirmed that he will use his first trip abroad since taking office to encompass a sweep of some of the most pressing foreign policy issues of the moment.
First, in Saudi Arabia he will meet “leaders from across the Muslim world”, he said, as he tried to shape what he called a new foundation of co-operation “with our Muslim allies to combat extremism, terrorism and violence”.
He claimed that the US would not presume to tell people how to live their lives, but would try to help create a more just and hopeful future for young Muslims in their countries.
The announcement of a stop in Israel comes after Trump’s meeting on Wednesday with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, and his vows to mediate peace with Israel.
Trump also met with Catholic cardinals earlier Thursday ahead of confirming his trip to Rome and the Vatican, where he will meet Pope Francis.
The swing through Europe will see him attend the Brussels summit of Nato leaders, where Russia’s annexation of Crimea, continued presence in Ukraine and pressure on eastern Europe will dominate, before moving on the the G7 summit in Sicily, which will precede the G20 summit in Germany in July, where Trump will have his first face to face meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin.