President Trump plans to travel to Israel, Saudi Arabia and the Vatican later this month as part of his first official trip overseas.
President Trump plans to travel to Israel, Saudi Arabia and the Vatican later this month as part of his first official trip overseas.
Trump will set out starting May 19 for the visits, ahead of a NATO Summit in Brussels and G7 Summit in Sicily. He will travel to Riyadh and Jerusalem, and plans to meet with Pope Francis at the Vatican.
Officials said part of Trump’s goal is to address the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and rally support for the fight against Islamic radicalization.
Announcing his trip during a National Day of Prayer event in the Rose Garden, Trump highlighted the meetings he plans in Saudi Arabia, “the custodian of the two holiest sites in Islam.”
“We will begin to construct a new foundation of cooperation and support with our Muslim allies to combat” terrorism, Trump said.
The announcement follows Trump’s meeting on Wednesday with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas. Trump also met with Catholic cardinals earlier Thursday ahead of his trip to the Vatican.
The White House had said previously that Trump would travel to Belgium and Italy for the G7 summit before Memorial Day.
Fox News’ James Rosen and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
