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WASHINGTON (AP) — Jill Biden will promote women and youth empowerment and attend a Jordanian royal wedding during an upcoming trip to the Middle East, North Africa and Europe.
The first lady is due to leave on Wednesday for a six-day trip that will take her to Jordan, Egypt, Morocco and Portugal. His office first released some details to The Associated Press.
It will be Biden’s first visit to the Middle East as first lady. He traveled to Namibia and Kenya in February.
“The first lady believes that supporting young people around the world is critical to our shared future, with education, health and empowerment at the core,” said Vanessa Valdivia, her spokeswoman.
“Through her visit to the Middle East and North Africa, the first lady will continue her work to empower young people and reaffirm our commitment to strengthen our partnership and advance our shared priorities in the region,” Valdivia said in an email. .
On June 1, Biden will attend the wedding of Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah II and architect Rajwa Khaled Al-Saif in Amman, the capital of Jordan.
President Joe Biden and the first lady have a deep and long-standing friendship with the prince’s parents, King Abdullah II and Queen Rania.
When Joe Biden was vice president, he and King Abdullah often met for breakfast when the king traveled to Washington to visit his son, then a student at Georgetown University. Abdullah also visited Biden at his home in Delaware after Biden returned to his private life.
The two have met at least three times since Biden became president, twice at the White House and once in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
In Egypt and Morocco, Jill Biden will connect with women and youth while focusing on U.S. investments that help support education programs and efforts to increase economic opportunity.
In Portugal, the first lady will help the US State Department celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Arts in Embassies program, highlighting the role of the arts in diplomacy.
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