Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud praised in a meeting with visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday co-ordination between the two countries “that helped remove tensions in the Middle East”, the Saudi Press Agency said.
“We share many interests and many files that we are working on together for the benefit of Russia, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Middle East and the world as well,” the agency quoted the crown prince as saying.
President Putin said ties with Saudi Arabia were at an “unprecedented level” in the meeting in Riyadh.
In introductory remarks shown on Russian television, Putin thanked the Crown Prince for his invitation, saying he had originally expected the Crown Prince to come to Moscow, “but there were changes to plans”.
He said the next meeting should take place in Moscow, and that the two countries had good, stable relations in the political, economic and humanitarian spheres.
“Nothing can prevent the development of our friendly relations,” Putin told MBS.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Putin and Prince Mohammed discussed Opec+ co-operation at talks in Riyadh and that co-operation would be continued, TASS news agency reported.
“Of course for all of us it’s very important now to exchange information and assessments of what is happening in the region,” Putin said.
Earlier, Putin was in the UAE for a rare foreign visit as Russia seeks to reassert itself on the global stage.
Putin’s delegation included top oil, economy, foreign affairs, space and nuclear energy officials as well as business leaders.
At his first stop in Abu Dhabi, President Shaikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan welcomed his “dear friend”, while a fly-past of UAE jets trailed the colours of the Russian flag.
“The UAE is Russia’s main trading partner in the Arab world,” he said.
Putin has rarely travelled abroad in recent years, and mostly to states of the former Soviet Union. His last trip beyond those countries was to China in October.
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