The Kremlin said it hopes that the upcoming visit of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud to Moscow next week will give a new powerful impetus to the development of bilateral relations with Riyadh which is the leader of the Arab world.
"Russia is interested in maintaining a dialogue, including in the framework of the discussion of the situation in the Middle East and Syria," the press secretary of the Russian president Dmitry Peskov said on Friday.
King Salman is expected to arrive in Moscow next Wednesday on an official visit to Russia.
A summit between the Saudi King and Russian President Vladimir Putin will be held on Thursday to discuss enhancing and developing bilateral relations, and would also tackle a number of regional and international issues. The visit will last until Sunday.
"We hope that this visit will give a new powerful impetus to the development of bilateral relations, because the potential of our relations is much richer than the de facto situation, and we want to develop our dialogue in every possible way," Peskov said.
Saudi King’s official visit will also witness the signing of Russia of a number of memorandums and agreements with 6 Saudi governmental bodies.
Two Saudi companies will also sign a number of deals with four Russian companies. The visit will also see the delivery of a number of investment permits.
Asked whether the visit of King Salman constitutes a sign of the rapprochement of positions between Moscow and Riyadh, particularly concerning the Syrian crisis, Peskov said: “Saudi Arabia is a state that plays an important role in Arab and inter-Arab affairs. It is the leader of the Arab world.”
He added that Russia is undoubtedly interested to keep its dialogue with the Kingdom.
