Gulf official: US assertions not to change policy toward region

A high-ranking official in the Gulf region has said that US officials had comforted Gulf countries about an unchanged policy in the region, adding that the image of the US-Gulf relations would become sharper in the coming weeks.

Commenting on the recent election of Donald Trump as the US president and the effect such a change could have on the US-Gulf relations, Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs and Negotiations at the General Secretariat of the Gulf Cooperation Council Abdul Aziz Hamad Aluwaisheg said: “Things remain unclear now, and we are still at the beginning. However, the situation will become clearer in the coming weeks.”

Auwaisheg said that until now, there are confirmations that the US policy towards the region would remain the same.

The official said there might be a change in the US method or style of dealing with the region’s developments. “However, the essence of the strategic partnership established last May would not change. Those are confirmations we had received from US officials,” Aluwaisheg said.