Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov described how the USSR helped Saudi Arabia when it was a young state - when the first Soviet consul Karim Khakimov worked in the kingdom in the 1920s.
"At the time when he (Karim Khakimov) was working there, the oil wealth had not yet been discovered. The country lived quite poorly. Despite the fact that the Soviet Union was not doing well then either, the USSR understood the need to support the young kingdom and organized the delivery of food and other humanitarian aid," Lavrov said in an interview with the A. Pechersky Memorial Foundation dedicated to Khakimov.
He added that Khakimov was an outstanding person and talented Arabist who knew the language, history and customs of the Arab East perfectly well, which affected his future work. His data as a person, diplomat, historian and psychologist were revealed at the post of Soviet representative in Saudi Arabia, because he communicated with everyone, from members of royal families to commoners.
"I will also note his personal qualities as a fearless man. The story goes that he had to present his credentials. The ceremony was scheduled in such a way that he drove there alone, in a car, at night, through the desert. It was not safe at all back then," noted Lavrov.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Russian Foreign Ministry
Based on materials from RIA Novosti