Russian Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev confirmed that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, despite external pressures, has not joined the "Ukrainian coalition" and continues to pursue a sovereign policy. Kolokoltsev is making an official visit to Riyadh this week to discuss law enforcement cooperation with his Saudi counterpart, Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif.
The minister and his Saudi counterpart identified pathways for further cooperation that will expand and deepen, stating: "Bilateral relations continue to develop and expand." The Russian Interior Minister emphasized that Russia and Saudi Arabia share a common factor, saying: "Our countries share many matters; the positions of the Saudi and Russian peoples are unequivocal regarding the preservation of traditional values."
He pointed out that "the international situation and all geopolitical events impact all aspects of international police cooperation. It is encouraging that Saudi Arabia has not succumbed to external pressures and has not joined the Ukrainian coalition, continuing to pursue an independent and sovereign policy, including with the Russian Federation."
Kolokoltsev explained that "among the most in-demand areas of interaction is counter-terrorism: exchanging information about terrorists and extremists, their movements, and their funding," affirming that "cooperation in combating cybercrime and drug trafficking can be implemented in the near future, with issues related to the training of specialists being determined."
He noted that "bilateral communication on drug trafficking is very important, as some interested countries are trying to exclude Russia from Interpol. This meeting between the Interior Ministers of Saudi Arabia and Russia is held for the first time."
