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| [PHOTO: Pete Souza/White House] |
Washington: US President Barack Obama and the First Lady will travel to Riyadh on Tuesday to pay respects to King Salman bin Abdulaziz and the family of the late King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz.
The Vice President was originally to have led a delegation to Saudi Arabia on the President’s behalf.
“As the President’s and Vice President’s travel schedules became clearer, we determined that the window when the Vice President would be on the ground in Riyadh coincided with the President’s departure from India,” the White House said in a statement.
Accordingly, the White House adjusted the schedule in coordination with the Indian government so that the President would be able to depart India following his speech on Tuesday to stop in Riyadh during the return trip to meet with King Salman and other Saudi officials and offer his condolences on behalf of the American people.
“The President regrets that he will be unable to visit Agra during this trip,” the further statement read.
The Vice President will remain in Washington.