Saudi Arabia and Ukraine Sign MoUs

Riyadh – Saudi Arabia and Ukraine signed a draft cooperation program and memoranda of understanding (MoU) following the summit between Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko.

Earlier, King Salman and Poroshenko held a session of official talks at al-Yammamah Palace, where they reviewed bilateral relations and aspects of cooperation between the two countries in various fields. They also discussed the latest developments at regional and international arenas.

Before the signing ceremony, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques granted Poroshenko the King Abdulaziz Necklace Medal in recognition of his Excellency, and in recognition of the King, Ukraine’s president granted the Custodian Order of Yaroslav the Wise of First Class, which is the highest order in Ukraine.

The session was attended by a number of princes in addition to a number of Saudi and Ukrainian ministers and senior officials.

Then, Saudi Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Abdurrahman bin Abdulmohsen al-Fadhli signed an MoU for investment cooperation in agriculture with Ukrainian Acting Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food Maxime Martinok.

In addition, Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Adel al-Jubeir and Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Pavlo Klimkin co-signed a draft cooperation program between Prince Saud al-Faisal Institute for Diplomatic Studies and Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine.

Another MoU for cooperation and exchanging news was co-signed between the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) and the Ukrainian News Agency by President of SPA Abdullah bin Fahd al-Hussain and Director General of the Ukrainian News Agency Alexander Kharchenko.

The signing ceremony was attended by: Governor of Riyadh Region Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz, Minister of State and Member of the Cabinet Prince Mansour bin Miteb bin Abdulaziz, Minister of the National Guard Prince Miteb bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, Minister of Interior Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz, Minister of State and Member of the Cabinet Massed bin Mohammed al-Ayban, Minister of State and Member of the Cabinet Ibrahim bin Abdulaziz al-Assaf, Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Abdurrahman bin Abdulmohsen al-Fadhli, Minister of Foreign Affairs Adel al-Jubeir, Minister of Finance Mohamed bin Abdullah al-Jadaan, and Saudi Ambassador to Ukraine Jaidaie al-Hazzal.

The Ukrainian delegation at the signing ceremony included: Head of Presidential Administration Ihor Rainin, Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin, Defense Minister Stepan Poltorak, Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration of Ukraine Kostiantyn Yelisieiev, Secretary of the National Investment Council of Ukraine (NIC) Borys Lozhkin, Commissioner of the President of Ukraine for the Affairs of Crimean Tatars Mustafa Dzhemilev, and Ukrainian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Vadym Vakhrushev.

Poroshenko arrived in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. He was received at King Khalid International Airport by Deputy Governor of Riyadh Region Prince Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Abdulaziz, Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Abdulrahman al-Fadhli, the accompanying escort minister, Saudi Ambassador to Ukraine Jaidaie al-Hazzal and his Ukrainian counterpart Vadym Vakhrushev.

King Salman received the President where an official reception ceremony was held in his honor and the accompanying delegation. Then, the Custodian held a luncheon in honor of the president which was attended attended by a number of princes, ministers and senior military and civil officials in addition to Poroshenko's accompanying delegation.

Luigi Di Maio, the EU Special Representative for the Gulf region, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the recent visit by the President of the European Council to Saudi Arabia was to prepare for the upcoming EU-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit in Brussels on October 16.

This will be the first summit between the two regional organizations, with leaders from both sides attending, marking a significant step in their cooperation.

Di Maio stressed the importance of strong ties between leaders, noting that European Council President Charles Michel has been dedicated to strengthening these relations since his first visit to the Gulf two years ago, when he met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah.

He added that since 2022, EU-Gulf relations have improved, with a focus on cooperation in areas like climate change, trade, investment, digitization, and sustainable supply chains.

Di Maio emphasized the need for ongoing dialogue to build mutual understanding and deepen these relations.

He highlighted Saudi Arabia’s key role in global affairs, especially in seeking solutions for the Gaza conflict, reducing tensions in the Middle East, and pursuing a just peace in Ukraine.

He stressed that closer cooperation between the EU and Saudi Arabia is essential in tackling these issues.

Di Maio praised Thursday’s preparatory meeting in Riyadh between GCC Secretary-General Jasem Al-Budaiwi and Michel, calling it “timely and constructive” for the upcoming summit.

He emphasized both sides’ commitment to making the summit a success, noting that it will “send a strong signal about elevating EU-Gulf relations to a strategic level.”

Di Maio outlined the key topics for discussion at the summit in Brussels, including climate action, the green transition, digital advancements, trade, investments, and visa exemptions.

He added that the summit will also address major geopolitical challenges, particularly in the Middle East and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

Saudi Arabia and Ukraine Sign MoUs