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Chairman of the Russian Business Group B20: G20 Summit Will Resolve Pressing Global Issues

President of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs Alexander Shokhin | Asharq Al-Awsat
President of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs Alexander Shokhin | Asharq Al-Awsat
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Chairman of the Russian Business Group B20: G20 Summit Will Resolve Pressing Global Issues

President of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs Alexander Shokhin | Asharq Al-Awsat
President of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs Alexander Shokhin | Asharq Al-Awsat

The President of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs and Chairman of the Russian Business Group B20, Alexander Shokhin, stressed that the effective approach on cooperation undertaken by the G20 under Saudi Presidency will contribute decisively to pressing global issues.

G20 cooperation looms over issues like addressing the coronavirus pandemic, saving the international economy, and helping poor countries.

Shokhin added that it also works on strengthening Saudi-Russian economic relations and simplifying international cooperation in various sectors of the global economy.

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, the Russian diplomat noted that the G20 had unlocked better opportunities for cooperation between Russia and Saudi Arabia.

Despite all challenges that surfaced in 2020, the space for practical cooperation between Russia and the Kingdom is expanding, said Shokhin.

He mentioned a host of areas that are open for increased cooperation, and they included building on a circular carbon economy, investing in infrastructure, developing nature-based solutions, advancing digitization, and implementing comprehensive industrial modernization.

“I am sure that the new level of understanding that we have reached in our countries, despite all the challenges this year, will provide new opportunities for our practical cooperation in fields of common interest,” Shokhin asserted to Asharq Al-Awsat.

Regarding the expected plan for channeling G20 Summit results to benefit joint Saudi-Russian projects, Shokhin said it lies at the core of making use of multilateral institutions for international cooperation.

This, according to Shokhin, will reduce the risks of inappropriate and separate policies aimed at gaining unilateral benefits.

“Lessons learned and experiences gained this year will help find the best way to succeed at a time of fundamental change and challenges,” Shokhin said on the framework produced by the G20 2020 Riyadh Summit.

Shokhin also said he believes that the concept of the circular carbon economy developed by the Saudi Presidency at the B20 will lead to the sustainable development of the global energy sector, enabling a balanced and sustainable development of various sectors of the global economy.

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Ukrainian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia: Our Top Priority is Energy Support

The 11th Saudi relief plane operated by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) arrived in Poland in Friday ahead of heading to Ukraine. (SPA)
The 11th Saudi relief plane operated by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) arrived in Poland in Friday ahead of heading to Ukraine. (SPA)
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Ukrainian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia: Our Top Priority is Energy Support

The 11th Saudi relief plane operated by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) arrived in Poland in Friday ahead of heading to Ukraine. (SPA)
The 11th Saudi relief plane operated by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) arrived in Poland in Friday ahead of heading to Ukraine. (SPA)

Ukrainian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Anatolii Petrenko, stressed that his country’s “top priority is energy support in multiple ways,” pointing to preparatory measures between Saudi Arabia and Ukraine concerning a Saudi aid package, most of which consists of energy equipment.
In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, Petrenko said that the Kingdom has been assisting Ukrainian civilians since the early days of the “full-scale Russian invasion,” as he described it. He said Saudi aid “has helped provide decent living conditions for our people, who have been forced by the war to relocate to safe areas within the country. It has also helped us maintain citizens' access to medical services and sustain social infrastructure.”
The ambassador emphasized the difficult period Ukraine is facing due to “energy shortages caused by regular Russian attacks on critical infrastructure,” which previously ensured daily needs for urban and municipal areas. He expressed concern about the approaching winter season and the severe drop in temperatures across the country.
Petrenko pointed to the need for energy resources, as well as access to light, water and heat, to enable the Ukrainian agricultural sector to continue contributing to global and regional food security.
He expressed his country’s firm belief in the importance of Saudi Arabia’s support to bring energy self-sufficiency in Ukraine, presently and in the long term.”
He added: “Through our united efforts, we can enhance the green energy agenda by smartly utilizing diverse renewable energy sources as key resources that can give us complete energy independence.”
The Ukrainian ambassador described the Saudi friendship as “an Arab generosity.” He noted that both Ukraine and the Kingdom were jointly studying “the latest innovations and sustainable technologies, such as combined heat and power plants and piston turbines, which could offset energy losses in various regions of Ukraine and thus prevent humanitarian crises in the winter season for hundreds of thousands of people.”
On the occasion of Ukraine’s Independence Day, Petrenko stated that his country “stands firmly to celebrate another anniversary of its independence, while appreciating the immense contributions and aid provided by international partners and friends, including Saudi Arabia, which holds a prominent position in leading humanitarian efforts in the region and encourages others to follow the same approach.”
“This represents a success story that will open a new chapter in energy resilience, which helps us achieve national independence,” he underlined.
The ambassador added that Ukraine highly values its bilateral relations with the Kingdom.
“On behalf of my country, I express my gratitude to Saudi Arabia, both the government and the people, for everything they are doing to alleviate the humanitarian challenges facing civilians today,” he told Asharq Al-Awsat.
Riyadh continues to send planes carrying tons of humanitarian aid to the Ukrainian people through the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSRELIEF).
This follows an agreement and memorandum of understanding signed by both sides last year, which included providing an additional humanitarian aid package to Ukraine amounting to $400 million, as well as emergency medical and shelter aid valued at $10 million for refugees from Ukraine to neighboring countries, particularly Poland, in coordination with the Polish government and UN organizations.