Michael Ratney, a contender for US ambassador to Saudi Arabia, if approved for the position, intends to ensure that the kingdom's energy supply policy is more in line with American goals. He said this Thursday at a US Senate Foreign Affairs Committee hearing to confirm his nomination and several others.
"Central to my dialogue with the Saudi government will be energy supplies and encouraging a Saudi energy policy that is consistent with US priorities," said the diplomat, who previously served as US special envoy for Syria as well as chargé d'affaires to Israel. He stressed that "the US has a great interest <...> in a dialogue [with Saudi Arabia] on the cost of energy."
Ratney asserted that "the immediate cause of instability in the global energy markets" is the Russian military operation in Ukraine. He noted that "an important part of the dialogue with the Saudi side" is the issues concerning the increase in oil production.
According to the diplomat, the decision of OPEC+ countries to increase oil production in July-August by 648,000 bpd "should have some effect on the global supply" of energy. "Much more diplomatic engagement on this issue is needed. I think a frank discussion of the Saudi contribution to maintaining stability in the global oil market should be a part of our dialogue with it," Ratney stressed. That is the approach he will take if he is confirmed as ambassador.
Attempting to normalize relations
The New York Times reported on June 16 that US President Joe Biden decided to meet with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud. According to the newspaper, the head of state intends to normalize relations between the two countries, which have been seriously strained since the murder of reporter Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.
Khashoggi, known for his critical articles on Riyadh's policies, had been living in the US since 2017, where he worked with Washington Post. He disappeared on October 2, 2018, after visiting the Saudi consulate general in Istanbul. On October 20 of that year, Saudi authorities reported that the reporter had been killed inside the diplomatic mission as a result of a conflict.
In February 2021, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence of the United States published a report on the assassination of Khashoggi. According to the American version, the Crown Prince of the kingdom personally approved the operation because he saw the journalist as a threat. The US administration announced visa sanctions against 76 individuals of the kingdom who are believed to have threatened dissidents abroad and were involved in the Khashoggi murder case.
Riyadh categorically rejected Washington's conclusions.
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Based on materials from TASS