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US Treasury Secretary to visit Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar

WASHINGTON, Oct 21 (KUNA) -- US Secretary of Treasury Steven Mnuchin will travel to the Middle East next week, accompanied by Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Sigal Mandelker, to discuss the Terrorist Financing Targeting Center (TFTC) partnership "and other important national security initiatives to combat terrorism and illicit finance,".
In a statement announcing the trip, Mnuchin indicated that the trip from October 25-30 will include Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Israel and will include official meetings and events "to strengthen our shared resolve to counter the financing of terrorism." He added "we will engage partners in the Middle East on the Trump administration's new strategy toward countering the destabilizing influence of Iran in the region."" "Our Middle East trip will focus on combatting terrorist financing and illicit activities, while building on the important national security and anti-terrorism initiatives that developed from the President's successful visit to the region in May," he affirmed.
He added that the trio also includes meetings with Gulf partners "essential to the development of the Terrorist Financing Targeting Center, and will expand the dialogue on efforts to combat terrorism in new and impactful ways." While in Saudi Arabia, Mnuchin will commemorate the opening of the TFTC and deliver the keynote address to the Future Investment Initiative summit, according to the Treasury. (end) si.mb