Israeli Finance Minister Avigdor Lieberman said on Monday he hoped the regional visit by US President Joe Biden this week will lead to a common Middle East market that includes Saudi Arabia, Reuters reported.

Biden arrives in Israel on Wednesday and continues to Saudi Arabia on Friday. The White House has said the visit’s aims include expanding regional economic and security cooperation.

Israeli Finance Minister Avigdor Lieberman said that he hopes US President Joe Biden's visit to the region this week will lead to the creation of a common market in the #MiddleEast that includes #SaudiArabia.

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Asked at an economic conference hosted by the Calcalist newspaper what he expects to arise from Biden’s visit, Lieberman said: “It is time to create a new, common market in the Middle East – Israel, Saudi Arabia, Gulf countries and Jordan. That’s the big challenge.”

“It will change the reality here from end to end, in both the fields of security and of economics. Therefore, I hope the emphasis during Biden’s visit will be on creating this new market in the Middle East.”

Israel normalized relations with four Arab countries under a 2020 US diplomatic drive that received Riyadh’s blessing. Saudi Arabia, however, has stopped short of formally recognizing Israel in the absence of a resolution to Palestinian statehood goals.

(MEMO, PC, Social Media)