During his first trip to Russia, Saudi King Salman Al Saud is set to hold talks with Russian President Putin and Russian Prime Minister Medvedev to discuss the conflicts in the Middle East and joint investment projects.
The Russian President will discuss the conflicts in the Middle East on October 5 with the King of Saudi Arabia, the Kremlin said on Tuesday, adding that Moscow expects a “substantive exchange of opinions on international issues.”
“[The sides] will pay special attention to the state of affairs in the Middle East and Northern Africa with an emphasis on the resolution of… the conflicts in the region. Joint documents are expected to be signed after the talks,” the statement read.
Prime Minister Medvedev will meet with the Saudi King in Moscow the following day to discuss joint investment projects, the government said in a statement on its website Tuesday.
“During the conversation, the Russian head of government and King of Saudi Arabia Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud will also touch upon the urgent issues of bilateral cooperation in trade, economy, industry, power industry, agriculture and other areas, and will consider the course of implementation of major joint infrastructure projects,” the government said.
News about the preparations for the upcoming visit has been circulating recently; Russian officials say the King will arrive in Moscow in early October. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov has confirmed the speculation, saying King Salman will visit Moscow on October 4-7 to hold a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
According to the information obtained by Sputnik, the program of the visit includes the signing of a set of agreements. Meanwhile, it was reported that the nations may organize grain exports from Russia to Saudi Arabia, as well as charter flights and a visa center in Crimea.
The upcoming visit has already been dubbed by the Saudi foreign minister as “historic,” as it will “demonstrate the scale of the dialogue between the two states.”
There were signs of a thaw between Moscow and Riyadh when they both decided to work together on the OPEC output deal last year and then renew it again once it expired.