A top White House official commented on Saudi energy minister’s recent statement that the kingdom was the more “mature” partner in a relationship roiled by an ongoing spat over OPEC cuts.
“It’s not like some high school romance here,” said John Kirby, the communications coordinator at the US National Security Council, when asked about a comment that Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman made this week at an investment conference in Riyadh.
“We’re talking about a significant, important bilateral relationship — a partnership that has survived over 80 years — an important partnership, a strategic partnership,” Kirby added.
Even though the decision to cut oil production at a time of soaring energy prices was “regretful,” Kirby noted that the decision did not result in an increase in oil prices.
“In fact, oil prices continue to come down. They’re down like 30 percent right now from June. And, of course, prices at the pump here in the United States are down about a $1.20 since about that same timeframe.
However, the trend of oil prices does not mean the White House is suddenly “happy about the decision.”
“At a time, as I mentioned before, when supply on the market is the predominant challenge, we felt that this was shortsighted,” the top US official noted.
