*Administration of Donald J. Trump, 2017 *

**Remarks Prior to a Meeting With Amir Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah of Kuwait in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia **

*May 21, 2017 *

*President Trump.* It's a great honor to be here with the Amir of Kuwait and a special person, a person I've gotten to know very well. They buy tremendous amounts of our military equipment, and they invest in the United States. And that's what we like to hear. We like to hear about jobs, jobs, jobs. And they are spending a lot of money on the new planes, including the Boeing F–18, which you like very much, which I like very much also. And we appreciate all of the investment that you make in the United States and all of the jobs that you create. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

*Amir Sabah.* I would like to mention about our bilateral relation between Kuwait and the United States, and it is a friendly and strategical relation. We are trying to further strengthen these bilateral relations with the United States. Meanwhile, we will not forget at all that the United States of America, they were—they provide element in liberation of Kuwait—liberating of Kuwait. And surely, this is not only the position of the Kuwaiti Government, but also the Kuwaiti people and the Arab people appreciate the role.

And it was really a very happy occasion to I—to have met His Excellency, the President. And we have really been working through discussing all the bilateral—aspects of bilateral relation, the military relation, and the economic and the investment relation, and all the aspects of our bilateral relation, which includes the—even the cultural relation between Kuwait and the United States. And we really are determined to improve the relation between our two countries. And also, should—we should activate further the strategical alliance between Kuwait and the United States.

And really, we are eager in order to support all the efforts concerning the alliance, which is led by the United States of America in combating terrorism and the extreme opinions in order to allow peace and security and, in particular, our region to prevail with stability and peace. And as we have also felt indebted in relation to the United States to take care of the problems of region and solve it, particularly when it is belong—between the Arab peace settlement and the situation in Syria and Yemen and Iraq and Iran.

And while this—I would like to put on record my high appreciation and thanks for His Excellency, the President of the United States of America, for the help which he rendered to achieve whatever we are hoping for in our bilateral relations.

Which I should not forget surely at all, in the name of the Kuwaiti people and the name of the Kuwaiti Government, and personally, myself, to extend an invitation for His Excellency, the President Trump—my brother, Trump—to visit Kuwait.

*President Trump*. Well, thank you very much.

*Amir Sabah*. Yes, it—Kuwait is small country, but you will see that how much people of Kuwait admire and like the United States of America. With other countries also, with all other countries, therefore, we will be happy really if you will be able to, I mean, accept this invitation, and you will be a dear guest on Kuwait people. *President Trump.* Thank you. So you're doing very well in the fight against ISIS, as General Mattis has just explained. And we're going to be having a news conference in about 2 weeks to let everybody know how well we're doing. Tremendous progress has been made and will continue to be made.

And I just want to thank the Amir and his representatives for being here. Thank you all very much. And again, a lot of investment is being made by Kuwait, a very wealthy nation and of great people. But a tremendous investment is being made by Kuwait into the United States, and the people of the United States appreciate that. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you, everybody.

NOTE: The President spoke at 1:22 p.m. at the Ritz-Carlton, Riyadh hotel. In his remarks, he referred to Secretary of Defense James N. Mattis. He also referred to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terrorist organization. Amir Sabah spoke in Arabic, and his remarks were translated by an interpreter. The transcript, prepared for immediate release by the Office of the Press Secretary, was received by the Office of the Federal Register on July 27.

*Categories:* Meetings With Foreign Leaders and International Officials : Kuwait, Amir Sabah*.*

*Locations: *Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.* *

*Names:* Mattis, James N.; Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah, Amir*.*

*Subjects:* Defense, Department of : Secretary; Employment and unemployment : Job creation and growth; Kuwait : Amir; Kuwait : Relations with U.S.; Saudi Arabia : President Trump's visit; Terrorism : Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terrorist organization.

*DCPD Number:* DCPD201700530.