Saudi King arrives in Russia on a state visit

MOSCOW, October 4. /TASS/. Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud began his state visit to Russia on Wednesday. The Saudi King’s plane landed at the Vnukovo-2 government airport. A guard of honor comprising all the combat arms of the Russian Armed Forces lined up before the air stair. Special Envoy of the Russian president for the Middle East and North Africa, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov and Saudi Ambassador to Moscow Abdurrahman Al-Rassi are receiving the King of Saudi Arabia. As part of the first visit by Al Saud to Russia, negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin are scheduled for October 5. "The leaders will discuss joint steps for further building up bilateral interaction in the trade and economic, investment, cultural and humanitarian spheres," the Kremlin press office reported. Both sides are expected to sign joint documents in the energy sphere, infrastructure construction, the hi-tech sphere and other sectors of the economy. Also, they are expected to focus on bilateral and regional issues. "They will pay particular attention to the current state of affairs in the Middle East and North Africa, placing the emphasis on solutions to ongoing crisis situations," the Kremlin said. On Friday, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev will hold talks with the Saudi monarch. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told the pan-Arab newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat on the eve of King Salman's visit that his forthcoming visit to Russia would facilitate stabilization in the Middle East. "We are convinced that this truly milestone event in our relations will bring our cooperation to a totally new level and make a useful contribution to a stable MENA region," he said. Lavrov underlines the trustworthy political dialogue that the two countries maintained at the highest and high levels. Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to Moscow Abdulrahman Ibrahim Al Rassi said that relations between his country and Russia are entering a qualitatively new level of development. "Very soon, we will witness a qualitative breakthrough in bilateral relations opening wide and comprehensive perspectives," he said. He hailed the Russian foreign ministry’s efforts aimed at strengthening ties with Saudi Arabia. "We appreciate their efforts aimed at strengthening fruitful and mutually beneficial cooperation between our countries," he stressed. Investment forum and Week of Culture The Saudi King’s visit will include an investment forum that is due to bring together over 200 companies, with the world’s largest oil company Saudi Aramco among them. On October 2-8, Moscow hosts the first-ever Week of Saudi Culture. An exhibition, screenings of Saudi feature films and presentations of national cuisine will top the week’s agenda. Read more