7 leaders to know: Who Trump will meet on his foreign trip
President Donald Trump has embarked on his first foreign trip today.
— -- President Donald Trump embarked on his first foreign trip on Friday, jetting off to five countries in Europe and the Middle East over the course of eight jam-packed days.
Trump will shake hands with foreign dignitaries and religious leaders during the trip to “strengthen our old friendships, build new partnerships, and unite the civilized world in a fight against terrorism,” he said. Here’s a look at who he’ll be meeting.
Saudi Arabia: King Salman, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef and Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman
Trump’s first stop is Saudi Arabia, a crucial ally to the U.S. in the fight against ISIS.
The president will have coffee with King Salman, 81, who became Saudi Arabia’s leader in 2015 following the death of his brother King Abdullah.
However, because of King Abdullah’s health issues, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, the king’s nephew, and one of his sons, Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, have a heavier hand in governing Saudi Arabia.
The crown prince serves as interior minister. Like many in the Saudi royal family, Prince Mohammed, or MBN, was educated in the United States, attending the Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon. Prince Mohammed has survived several assassination attempts, and has kept a low profile.
Second in line to the throne, Mohammed bin Salman has been compared to Trump’s adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner in terms of the power he has amassed. At 31, he serves as the country’s defense minister, traveling more frequently on behalf of his government.
Prince Mohammed is considered the face of the war in Yemen, which is being fought by a Saudi Arabia-led coalition. For many, he also represents the political future of the kingdom. Notably, he works with a team of advisers and ministers on Vision 2030, which aims to prepare Saudis for life after oil.
Israel: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
On Monday, Trump is scheduled to meet privately with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who previously met with Trump at the White House in February. At a joint press conference at the time, the pair discussed the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and Netanyahu expressed confidence in the strength of the U.S.-Israeli relations under Trump.
"Under your leadership, I'm confident that it will get even stronger," he said to the president.
Netanyahu served in the Israeli Defense Forces, as Israel’s ambassador to the U.N., and spent some time working in the U.S. when he was younger, after graduating from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Netanyahu was first elected prime minister in 1996, but lost his bid for reelection in 1999. He returned to office in 2009, and won a clear victory in 2015. He is currently serving his fourth term as prime minister, and upon the completion of his current term would be Israel's longest serving leader .
Palestine: President Mahmoud Abbas
Trump is set to meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, 82, in Bethlehem, on Tuesday.
Abbas was elected president of the Palestinian Authority in 2005. He’s one of the founding members of the party Fatah, the group that eventually dominated the Palestine Liberation Organization.
Abbas was born in what is now part of the Palestinian territories, but as refugees from the Arab-Israeli war of 1948, he and his family fled to Syria. Abbas studied law in Egypt, and received his PhD in Moscow.
He is considered one of the architects of the Oslo Accords, the 1990s peace agreements reached between Israel and Palestine. But, in 2015 Abbas declared that Palestine is no longer bound by the the Oslo Accords, and accused Israel of regularly violating the agreements.
The Vatican: Pope Francis
On Wednesday, Trump will have an audience with Pope Francis at the Vatican.
Born in Argentina, Pope Francis was elected the Catholic leader in 2013, and since has shaken up the Catholic Church.
The pontiff has advocated for a global effort to combat climate change -- which Trump has called a “hoax.” In his encyclical, titled “Laudato Si,” Pope Francis argues climate change hits those living in poverty the hardest.
In February 2016, Francis was asked whether a “good Catholic” can vote for Trump. The pope, who has spoken out about the plight of the refugee, replied that "a person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian." Trump said for a religious leader to question a person’s faith is "disgraceful."
In a recent interview aboard the papal plane, Francis said he doesn’t want to judge Trump before he’s met with him.
“I look forward to speaking with the Pope about how Christian teachings can help put the world on a path to justice, freedom, and peace,” Trump said in his weekly address.
Brussels: President Emmanuel Macron
On May 25, Trump will have a working lunch with Emmanuel Macron, another leader whose views on immigration, refugees and globalization differ greatly from his own.
Macron, 39, is the youngest president in France’s history, and will meet Trump for the first time less than two weeks into his own presidency. Macron defeated far-right candidate Marine Le Pen in a May 7 election, even after his campaign’s emails and documents were hacked and leaked online, a mere 36 hours before the nation voted.
In his campaign, Macron pushed for greater involvement in the European Union and welcoming refugees to France.
One thing Trump and Macron can find common ground on: prioritizing defeating ISIS.
Trump is set to meet with Macron on the same day he heads to the EU headquarters in Brussels to meet with presidents from the EU and the European Council.
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