Saudi Arabia confirms its strong desire to continue cooperation and strengthen relations with Russia, Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud said on Thursday at a press conference following talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
"I confirm the kingdom's strong commitment to continuing cooperation with Russia and strengthening relations in all spheres," he said.
Saudi Arabia has reiterated its position on the crisis in Ukraine and is ready to make every effort to resolve it, Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud said.
"We discussed with Mr. Minister the situation in Ukraine. We reiterated our position on a political solution to the crisis, to alleviate the humanitarian problems in that country that are caused by the crisis, especially what concerns developing countries. And Saudi Arabia is ready to make every effort to resolve this crisis," the minister said.
The Saudi foreign minister also thanked his Russian counterpart for the meeting.
On February 26, the Saudi Arabian foreign minister made his first visit to Ukraine since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the countries. At a press conference following his meeting with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, he said that "the kingdom is interested in supporting any initiatives which will help reduce tensions and achieve peace".
The head of the kingdom's foreign ministry also announced the decision to allocate $410 million to Ukraine as humanitarian aid. Riyadh and Kiev have signed a number of agreements, including a memorandum of understanding, which envisages the delivery of oil products to Ukraine worth about $300 million. The rest of the funds – about $100 million – will be intended for the program of the King Salman Center for Humanitarian Aid and Humanitarian Operations.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Federation Council
Based on materials from TASS