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Saudi Crown Prince, Putin Urge All OPEC+ Countries to Join Output Deal

This handout picture provided by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) shows Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (R) walking with Russian President Vladimir Putin during a welcoming ceremony in the capital Riyadh on December 6, 2023. (Photo by SPA / AFP)
This handout picture provided by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) shows Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (R) walking with Russian President Vladimir Putin during a welcoming ceremony in the capital Riyadh on December 6, 2023. (Photo by SPA / AFP)
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Saudi Crown Prince, Putin Urge All OPEC+ Countries to Join Output Deal

This handout picture provided by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) shows Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (R) walking with Russian President Vladimir Putin during a welcoming ceremony in the capital Riyadh on December 6, 2023. (Photo by SPA / AFP)
This handout picture provided by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) shows Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (R) walking with Russian President Vladimir Putin during a welcoming ceremony in the capital Riyadh on December 6, 2023. (Photo by SPA / AFP)

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Russian President Vladimir Putin have commended the close cooperation between them and the successful efforts of the OPEC+ countries in enhancing the stability of global oil markets.

A joint statement said Thursday that they stressed the importance of continuing this cooperation, and the need for all participating countries to adhere to the OPEC+ agreement, in a way that serves the interests of producers and consumers and supports the growth of the global economy.

Following last week's OPEC+ meeting, Saudi Arabia agreed to extend voluntary oil output cuts of 1 million barrels per day (bpd) into the first quarter, while Russia said it would continue to curb oil exports by 300,000 bpd and additionally reduce its fuel exports by 200,000 bpd in January-March.
The total curbs amount to 2.2 million bpd from eight producers, OPEC said in a statement after the meeting last week.

The Crown Prince and Putin met at Al-Yamamah palace in Riyadh on Wednesday.

They praised the increase in the volume of trade between the two countries, as the volume of bilateral trade in the year 2022 increased at a rate of 46% compared to the year 2021.

They affirmed their intention to continue the joint work to enhance and diversify trade between them, and to intensify communication between the private sectors in the two countries to discuss promising trade and investment opportunities and transform them into active partnerships.

The two sides also stressed their keenness to continue working to enhance mutual and joint investments in the two countries, enable the private sector, exchange visits, hold joint investment forums and events, develop the investment-attractive environment, provide the necessary enablers, and solve any challenges in this field.

The joint statement said that Putin welcomed the Kingdom’s launch of the “Saudi Green Initiative” and the “Middle East Green initiative” and affirmed Russia's support for the Kingdom’s efforts in the field of climate change by implementing the circular carbon economy approach launched by the Kingdom and approved by the leaders of the G20 countries.

The two sides stressed the importance of adhering to the principles of the Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement, and the necessity of developing and implementing climate agreements by focusing on emissions rather than sources.

They also expressed their desire to maximize the use of local content in energy sector projects, cooperate to stimulate innovation, apply emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence in the energy sector, and develop its ecosystem.

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Urgent Financial Tasks Await Lebanon’s Emerging Government

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun stands between Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri and caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati (dpa)
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun stands between Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri and caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati (dpa)
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Urgent Financial Tasks Await Lebanon’s Emerging Government

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun stands between Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri and caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati (dpa)
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun stands between Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri and caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati (dpa)

A broad internal consensus, encompassing both political and economic dimensions, is taking shape to adopt the principles outlined in the presidential inauguration address as the foundation of the new government’s program and ministerial statement. This approach aims to sustain Lebanon’s immediate and strong positive momentum, which is reinforced by widespread support on both Arab and international levels.

Economic bodies and professional unions representing business sectors have openly expressed their relief and full support for the strategic directions set by President Joseph Aoun following his election. However, they have made it clear that maintaining this positive momentum depends on the formation of a reform-oriented rescue government, composed of competent, experienced, and honest ministers. This government must also collaborate constructively with the president.

According to a senior financial official, the rescue mission will be challenging due to years of governmental inaction and constitutional voids, which led to a deterioration in public sector operations and the accumulation of economic, financial, and monetary crises over the past five years. These challenges were further compounded by a devastating war, which inflicted severe human and financial losses estimated at approximately $10 billion, thereby worsening the country’s financial gap, now estimated at $72 billion.

Economic and banking circles are looking to the new government to swiftly capitalize on extensive international support by restoring trust and reestablishing financial channels between Lebanon and its regional and international partners. Key to this effort are explicit and transparent commitments to combating illegal economic activities, corruption, smuggling, money laundering, and drug trafficking. In parallel, the government must prioritize strengthening judicial independence and implementing strict controls over land, sea, and air borders.

The national consensus evident in the presidential election, according to Mohammad Choucair, head of Lebanon’s economic associations, paves the way for constructive collaboration among political factions. This collaboration is crucial for addressing challenges, rebuilding the state, and benefiting from renewed international and Arab—particularly Gulf and Saudi—interest in Lebanon. Choucair emphasized the importance of normalizing relations with Gulf nations, supporting Lebanon’s recovery, and providing resources for reconstruction efforts.

One of the urgent tasks for the new government, according to the financial official, is revisiting the draft 2024 state budget, which was previously submitted to parliament. Adjustments are necessary to address fundamental discrepancies in expenditure and revenue projections, taking into account significant changes brought about by the Israeli war.

Ibrahim Kanaan, chairman of the Parliamentary Finance Committee, described the budget as “unrealistic, if not entirely fictitious,” particularly in its revenue estimates. He pointed out that revenue increases were based on income and capital taxes, internal duties, and trade-related fees, all of which have been severely impacted by the war.

Reassuring depositors, both domestic and expatriate, who have suffered massive losses over recent years, is another pressing issue. These losses were exacerbated by the inability of successive governments to implement a comprehensive rescue plan addressing the $72 billion financial gap fairly. The situation was worsened by mismanagement in the electricity sector and the squandering of over $20 billion in central bank reserves following the onset of the financial crisis.

In response to Aoun’s commitment to a fair resolution for depositors, the Association of Banks in Lebanon welcomed his emphasis on safeguarding deposits. It also expressed its readiness to collaborate with the central bank and the government to protect depositors’ rights, citing a recent State Council ruling that prohibits any financial recovery plans from including measures that would erode depositors’ funds.

In its final session, the caretaker government addressed long-standing creditor issues by unanimously agreeing to suspend Lebanon’s right to invoke statutes of limitations on claims by foreign bondholders under New York law. This suspension, effective until March 9, 2028, aims to facilitate future negotiations.

With this decision, the caretaker government tacitly acknowledged Lebanon’s pending debt obligations, including over $10 billion in suspended interest payments on Eurobonds and approximately $30 billion in principal debt. The resolution now awaits direct negotiations under the new administration, which faces the challenge of resolving a nearly five-year-old crisis triggered by the previous government’s uncoordinated decision to halt payments on all Eurobond obligations through 2037.

Caretaker Finance Minister Youssef Khalil emphasized that despite the difficult circumstances, “Lebanon remains committed to reaching a fair and consensual resolution regarding the restructuring of Eurobond debt.”