Mikhail Bogdanov, the Special Representative of the Russian President for the Middle East and North Africa, and Saudi Ambassador Abdul Rahman Al-Ahmad discussed regional issues.
A statement issued by the Russian Foreign Ministry today indicated that there was a comprehensive exchange of views on a wide range of priority issues. The two sides addressed current regional matters, focusing on the situation in Yemen, the Gulf region, and the Arab-Israeli settlement. The Russian Foreign Ministry's statement noted that the conversation also involved discussions about the development of multifaceted Russian-Saudi relations, including the timetable for communications and relevant bilateral events.
It is worth noting that Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov had previously announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin's agenda does not currently include communications with leaders from Saudi Arabia and the United States. In response to journalists' questions about whether Putin plans to communicate with Saudi and American leaders, Peskov said, "No, except for what happened a week ago, the conversation with the Crown Prince, there are no plans for any other communications afterward."
On February 15, the Kremlin announced that "at the initiative of the Saudi side, a phone call took place between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman, during which regional issues, including the situation in Syria and the Gulf region, were addressed." The statement noted that both parties agreed to continue communications at various levels.
According to the statement, Putin and Mohammed bin Salman discussed the implementation of the "OPEC+" agreement, expressing their intention to continue coordinating efforts for energy market stability. The Kremlin statement added: "Vladimir Putin and Mohammed bin Salman exchanged views on the implementation of the 'OPEC+' agreements and confirmed their commitment to maintaining close coordination between Russia and Saudi Arabia to ensure stability in the global energy market."
