LEILA FADEL, HOST:
Let's discuss the crown prince's visit now from the perspective of Saudi Arabia. For that, we're joined by Fahad Nazer, the spokesperson for the Saudi embassy here in Washington, D.C. Good morning, and thank you for being on the program.
FAHAD NAZER: Good morning, Leila.
FADEL: So I want to start with something Jamal Khashoggi's widow is saying, reacting to the comments in the Oval Office yesterday, including the crown prince saying it was painful and a huge mistake. She's asking that the crown prince meet with her to apologize and to provide compensation for her husband's killing. Is that something he would do?
NAZER: So we have addressed the murder of Jamal Khashoggi on multiple occasions.
FADEL: Yeah.
NAZER: There's no doubt that this was a heinous crime. It was an egregious violation not only of our laws, but our values. The people behind it were prosecuted and held accountable.
FADEL: But will the crown prince meet with his widow?
NAZER: Well, if you can just let me finish, please. We also - as his royal highness yesterday also made very clear, we took concrete measures to make sure that nothing like this ever happens again. What is also worth noting is the fact that throughout our history, not only did - you know, we've never had anything like this happen before. It is simply not who we are. It is not how we do things. It is not how we resolve our differences. And really, I think, in some ways, I think it's very unfortunate for people who are trying to define Saudi Arabia as a nation and as a people by this one dark chapter in our history.
FADEL: And will the crown prince meet with his widow?
NAZER: The crown prince has an incredibly full, busy schedule, so I don't think that's even possible, just given how busy he is.
FADEL: Another thing to come out of the meeting was a promise of $1 trillion that Saudi Arabia will invest in the United States. What does the crown prince see as the possible return on that investment?
NAZER: Right. So just to, you know, kind of widen the lens here a little bit, so the - I believe that the crown prince's visit really does mark a new chapter in a longstanding relationship. This is a relationship that goes back 80 years. It is in many ways multidimensional, and it does include political cooperation on a number of fronts - security and military cooperation. The economic cooperation and trade has always been a pillar of the relationship, but there's also been cultural and academic exchanges. So all of these aspects of the relationship were highlighted during the visit.
So as your colleague said at the outset, we did sign a strategic defense agreement that really, I think, shows our commitment to enhancing regional security. We signed an agreement on artificial intelligence because Saudi Arabia is slowly but surely becoming a hub for artificial intelligence in the Middle East and beyond. We signed an agreement on the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. So again, all of this really highlights not just the breadth of the relationship, but it's a relationship that is ever-evolving.
FADEL: Now that you've been designated as a major non-NATO ally of the United States, what specific guarantees, security guarantees, is Saudi Arabia expecting? For example, are you looking for a similar defense pact to what the U.S. recently signed with Qatar - the executive order on Qatar - after Israel attacked during Gaza negotiations?
NAZER: Right. So the United States has been our main strategic partner when it comes to issues with defense and security for decades. Obviously, as you know very well, unfortunately, we do live in a dangerous neighborhood, and we really have no higher priority than making sure that our people are safe and our borders are secure. And again, we've worked with the United States on this for decades, and, you know, it is our primary security partner. And the relationship has continued on that front, so we're going to continue to have this conversation to make sure that we meet these goals of making sure that our people are safe and secure.
FADEL: When you say, we live in a bad neighborhood, I mean, what do you see as the biggest regional threat to Saudi Arabia that would - that this might protect against?
NAZER: Yeah. I mean, ultimately, I think we - we believe that we are part of an increasingly interconnected global community. A lot of the security threats and the challenges that Saudi Arabia faces, I think we - and by we, I mean the broader international community faces. So whether - in the region, for sure, we still, you know, face security threats from nonstate actors. And, you know, then modern warfare has also been changing and evolving. So we want to make sure that, again, we're working very closely with the United States. We're working closely with our regional partners to make sure that we are safe and secure. And this is something that has been going on for decades, really.
FADEL: And really quickly, on the Abraham Accords, is a commitment to that possible when the prime minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, says he does not want a Palestinian state?
NAZER: Well, Saudi Arabia's position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been very clear. We have long maintained that for the broader Middle East to enjoy any semblance of peace and prosperity, we need this core dispute resolved once and for all. We believe that the only way forward is a two-state solution. This is what we put on the table, you know, all the way back in 2002 with the Arab Peace Initiative. That offer is still on the table.
FADEL: Fahad Nazer is the spokesperson for the Saudi Arabian embassy here in Washington, D.C. Thank you for your time.
NAZER: Thank you, Leila. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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