Obama to meet with UAE, Qatari, Jordanian and Turkish leaders

WASHINGTON, April 5 (UPI) -- President Obama will meet with leaders from the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Jordan and Turkey during the next month in Washington, the White House said.

First Obama will welcome Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates April 16, the White House press secretary's office said Thursday in a statement.

"The president looks forward to discussing with the Crown Prince the strong and enduring ties between the United States and the UAE and consulting on common strategic interests in the Gulf region and broader Middle East," the statement said.

On April 23, Emir Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani of Qatar will visit the White House.

The White House said the two countries "have a strong bilateral relationship, reflecting our close defense partnership, expanding commercial ties and many other areas of cooperation."

A few days later, April 26, King Abdullah II of Jordan will visit the White House, officials said.

Obama "looks forward to continuing his consultations with King Abdullah on Jordan's political and economic reforms, the humanitarian crisis in Syria, and additional regional issues of mutual concern," the White House said.

On May 16, Obama will meet with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

"As friends and NATO allies, the United States and Turkey are partners in addressing a range of critical global and regional issues," the White House said. "The president looks forward to discussing these issues with the prime minister, to include Syria, trade and economic cooperation and countering terrorism."