{O/C} On the last day of his trip to the Middle East, U.S. President Joe Biden attended a summit with Arab strongmen in the Gulf Cooperation Council, vowing to prevent America's adversaries from filling in for his country there.
Washington says his trip was to rejuvenate meandering relations between the US and the region that have cast America's credibility in an unflattering light.
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JOE BIDEN, United States President:
The United States is clear-eyed about the challenges in the Middle East and about where we have the greatest capacity to help drive positive outcomes.
The United States is going to remain an active and engaged partner in the Middle East.
It's only becoming clear to me that how closely interwoven America's interests are with the successes in the Middle East.
We will not walk away and leave a vacuum to be filled by China, Russia or Iran.
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As his four-day Middle East tour wound down, Biden announced 1 billion U.S. dollars in funding to ameliorate hunger in that region.
The budding ties that are going from frosty to warm have also allowed for greater economic and security integration.
Biden has also invited the new leader of the United Arab Emirates to visit the White House in the coming months.
Washington said Biden's trip was entailed to salvage relations.
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JOHN KIRBY, National Security Council Strategic Communications Coordinator:
How can you advance human rights if you're not willing to actually get on a plane and go somewhere and talk to foreign leaders about your concerns?
{VO}
But while Biden hails the new Saudi pledge to pump more oil, when Americans will enjoy a much-needed reprieve from the pinch is a question that remains hanging in the balance.
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