A Bahraini diplomat has said, the relations between the United States and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) will be improved with the president-elect Donald Trump.

Hamad Al Amer, former Undersecretary for GCC, said that, “because they will be built on interests and not on the United States and Western criteria regarding plurality, human rights, freedom of opinion adopted by curent President Barak Obama in dealing with the Arab and GCC nations and which would have been continued under Clinton.”

Kuwaiti daily Al Qabas reported,  Al Amer said that, “For example, the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA) which targets the Saudi kingdom is not based on interests, but rather on the principles that framed bilateral relations during the presidency of Obama.”

“Trump will pay more attention to United States interests in the region and will reinforce relations with the Gulf countries on that basis. US relations with GCC states will then improve.”

“The priority should be given to shared interests. For instance, if we want a defence system from the US in the region, then the countries that will benefit from it should pay. At the same time, the US has an interest in staying in the region and wants this region to remain stable because it is a major source of oil, so it will pay for the oil. The payment is from both sides and serves their common interests,” he said.

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