The Russian president was welcomed in the UAE and Saudi Arabia to discuss further cooperation on oil prices and the strengthening of trade ties.
Russian President Vladimir Putin visited to the UAE and Saudi Arabia on 6 December to discuss deepening trade and energy ties as well as continued cooperation within the OPEC+ bloc of nations.
After arriving in Saudi Arabia, Putin thanked Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS) for his invitation, saying he had initially expected MbS to visit Moscow, “but there were changes to plans.” He later announced that their next meeting would occur in Moscow, adding: “Nothing can prevent the development of our friendly relations.”
BREAKING: Saudi Prince MbS warmly welcomes Putin in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia pic.twitter.com/RK4zMFBR0j
— Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) December 6, 2023
“We share many interests and many files that we are working on together for the benefit of Russia, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, [West Asia], and the world as well,” MbS was quoted as saying by the Saudi Press Agency.
The Saudi leader praised joint coordination between the two countries, which “helped remove tensions” in the region.
The Middle East’s circumstances would improve as a result of Saudi Arabia and Russia’s political collaboration, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud stated on Wednesday.
“Thanks to the political coordination between Russia and Saudi Arabia, security in the Middle East has been strengthened. Our subsequent political coordination and interaction will undoubtedly have a positive impact on the global situation and the situation in the entire Middle East,” Mohammed bin Salman said at a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Riyadh.
Putin was heading a delegation including high-ranking officials from various fields, such as oil, economy, foreign affairs, space, and nuclear energy. Meanwhile, according to the Kremlin, the agenda of discussions with the two countries will include oil, the Israeli war on Gaza, the situation in Syria and Yemen, and regional stability, in addition to the developments in Ukraine.
According to the Kremlin, the two leaders also discussed further cooperation within OPEC+ and the possibility of creating a joint fertilizer company.
“[MbS] is dealing with fertilizers,” Putin said during a joint press conference. “There is a chance to make a large joint company,” the Russian President added.
Putin’s delegation included top oil, economy, foreign affairs, space, and nuclear energy officials, as well as Russian business leaders.
Earlier in the day, Putin visited the UAE for a sit-down meeting with President Mohammed bin Zayed (MbZ), who pulled out all the stops to welcome his Russian counterpart.
Vladimir Putin received a grand welcome as he met UAE's president in Abu Dhabi at the start of a rare foreign trip to strengthen partnerships in the Middle East https://t.co/bVhRYDECaj pic.twitter.com/dCW5YJuGDC
— Bloomberg (@business) December 6, 2023
“Today, thanks to your stance, our relations have reached an unprecedentedly high level,” Putin told MbZ during a welcoming ceremony in Abu Dhabi. He also described the UAE as Moscow’s “main trade partner in the Arab world,” noting that trade turnover had increased by 67 percent in 2022.
The Russian president added that the two nations are actively expanding industrial cooperation while involved in several major joint oil and gas ventures and hailed their cooperation as part of OPEC+.
“The Emirates and Russia are keeping the proactive interaction at various international floors. For example, we are cooperating within the framework of BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, where the Emirates received the status of the partner in dialogue this May,” the UAE President said.
MbZ added that his nation seeks to develop cooperation with Russia in “such spheres as innovations, energy, infrastructure, and modern technologies.”
Putin, who has survived a western campaign to ostracize him from the international community since the start of the war in Ukraine, says Russia is engaged in an “existential battle” with the west. Over the past two years, he has successfully courted allies across West and East Asia, Africa, and Latin America.