US says 'very close' to deal with Saudi Arabia on bilateral aspect of Israel normalisation

The US, on Thursday, said it is “very close” to reaching an agreement with Saudi Arabia on bilateral aspects of the wider Israel normalisation deal, Anadolu Agency reports.

“We are very close to reaching an agreement on the bilateral pieces of a normalisation agreement … There are few details that we have to continue to work through, but we think we can reach agreement on those details in very short order,” State Department spokesman, Matthew Miller, told reporters.

“There is still more work to be done on a separate piece of that, which is the proposal for a pathway to a Palestinian State,” he added.

Miller reiterated Saudi Arabia’s position regarding normalisation with Israel, with two requirements being calm in Gaza and a path to an independent Palestinian State.

“We have been very clear, Saudi Arabia has been very clear that this is a package deal that would include a bilateral component, and also include a path to two states,” Miller said.

The remarks came after Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, on Wednesday returned from a three-day visit to the Middle East, with stops in Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Israel.

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