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                       Saudi King to Skip US-Gulf Summit

   by VOA News

   Saudi Arabia's King Salman will not take part in a U.S.-Arab summit
   hosted this week by President Barack Obama, Foreign Minister Adel
   al-Jubeir said Sunday, canceling also a planned White House meeting
   that had been announced only days earlier.

   The summit begins Wednesday with delegations from the six-member Gulf
   Cooperation Council visiting the White House, then continues Thursday
   with talks at the president's Camp David retreat.

   Jubeir said King Salman will send Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef in
   his place.  He cited the summit's overlap with a five-day cease-fire
   and humanitarian effort in neighboring Yemen where Saudi Arabia has led
   a campaign of airstrikes against anti-government fighters.

   An Obama administration official said the change was "not in response
   to any substantive issue."

   White House spokesman Eric Schultz said last week that the summit would
   include discussions on deepening security cooperation with Gulf nations
   and "seeking common approaches" to the conflicts in Iraq, Syria, Libya
   and Yemen.

   The talks will also likely include the ongoing negotiations on Iran's
   nuclear program and Gulf concerns that Iran would gain freedom from
   sanctions while still retaining the ability to develop a nuclear
   weapon.
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/saudi-king-to-skip-us-gulf-summit/276
   2650.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/saudi-king-to-skip-us-gulf-summit/2762650.html