Blinken: Riyadh sent "positive" indications but Washington "remains unhappy"

Blinken: Riyadh sent "positive" indications

but Washington "remains unhappy"

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said Saudi Arabia had sent "positive" signs since it decided to cut oil production, but Washington "remains unhappy."

Blinken said Saudi Arabia had taken a "wrong decision" with regard to OPEC + "s decision to reduce the supply of oil, which had infuriated Washington, rejecting arguments made by Riyadh to justify the move as a response to market dynamics.

In a statement to Bloomberg

1. Blinken spoke of two subsequent steps by Saudi Arabia
2. voting alongside the United States against Russia
3. announcing $400 million in aid to Ukraine

calling those developments "positive" but not compensating for OPEC Plus's decision to (cut) production.

"There was no indication in our analysis that the prices would have fallen in a way that would have been problematic for them," Blinken said.

Blinken said

the Biden administration was reassessing the relationship with Saudi Arabia, without giving further details.

The reassessment would be conducted "in consultation with members of Congress", ensuring that "the relationship better reflects our own interests".

The OPEC Plus alliance

which includes members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) led by Saudi Arabia and 10 other oil-producing countries, decided in early October to cut official supply by 2 million barrels a day starting in November, leading to higher prices ahead of the US election.

During his presidential campaign

• Joe Biden pledged to make Saudi Arabia a "pariah" State against

• the backdrop of human rights violations recorded on its territory

• including the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi

• at his country's consulate in Istanbul.

But Biden

after taking over the US presidency, made a visit to the kingdom in June during which he met Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

US officials were counting on the visit to reach an understanding on oil prices amid pressure from Biden on the back of rising prices and inflation.

Saudi Minister of Energy on strained relations

with Washington: We decided to be mature

Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman stated that the Kingdom has decided to deal with "maturity" towards strained relations between Riyadh and Washington, following a dispute over OPEC + Group's decision to cut production.

In response to a question about the return of relations between Riyadh and Washington, the Saudi Minister of Energy said, while participating in the "Future Investment Initiative" conference

in Riyadh: 

"We in Saudi Arabia decided to be mature."

Riyadh was reaching out to a number of European governments about the current crisis. Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman stressed that Saudi Arabia will be the supplier to all those in need.

This comes amid a row between Riyadh

and Washington following OPEC

 decision to cut oil production by 2 million barrels per day (bpd) starting in November, as the United States waves to reassess its relations with Saudi Arabia as a result of this decision, which the White House called "alignment" with Russia.