RIYADH: Saudi Arabia is defending its decision to lower oil production and says its relationship with the United States is strong enough to survive the fallout.
“We have had a disagreement with regards to the oil market,” Adel Al-Jubeir, the kingdom’s minister of state for foreign affairs and main climate envoy, said in an interview with Bloomberg TV.
“We have our position and we believe our position is correct. Some in the US take a different approach, but we’ll be able to overcome this.”
The White House criticised Saudi Arabia after it orchestrated an Organisiation of Oil Exporting Countries and its allies move last month to cut two million barrels a day of oil output.
The United States said it came at the “worst possible moment” for the global economy given inflationary pressures. President Joe Biden pledged to reassess US military support for the kingdom.
“It’s a very strong relationship,” Al-Jubeir said at the Saudi Green Initiative during the COP27 climate summit in Egypt.
“We have seen the coming and passing of many storms. We have had our ups and downs and we always move towards a stronger, deeper and broader relationship.” — Bloomberg
