Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, is scheduled to hold talks on Thursday with Russian President Vladimir Putin ahead of the opening of the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Discussions are set to focus on bilateral ties and cooperation, as well as the oil deal signed between Moscow and OPEC.
Russian sources said that Prince Mohammed is due to attend the opening ceremony of the World Cup along with Putin.
The opening match of the tournament will take place between Saudi Arabia and Russia at Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium.
The sources said Russia was focusing on the political and economic aspects of the Saudi royal’s visit.
A Kremlin source described the talks they will hold prior to the opening ceremony as “comprehensive.”
Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that attention will be given to Saudi-Russian cooperation in various fields.
OPEC and non-OPEC producers struck a deal in late 2016 to trim production by 1.8 million barrels per day to reduce a global glut that had sent prices crashing. Key producers, including Saudi Arabia and Russia, have reaffirmed the deal since then.
Russia is expected to reaffirm its stance during Prince Mohammed’s talks with Putin, added Peskov.
Other discussions will cover bilateral agreements that had been signed between Riyadh and Moscow and means to bolster their implementation.
These deals were signed during a visit paid to Russia in October by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz, a Russian diplomatic source told Asharq Al-Awsat.
