On Wednesday, 6 September, Russian President Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The representative of the Arab country thanked the Russian side for its support for the country’s accession to BRICS. During the dialogue, Vladimir Putin congratulated the Saudi authorities on the positive decision taken at the BRICS summit in Johannesburg at the end of August this year. The head of state also informed the Crown Prince about the main priorities of the Russian presidency in the group next year.

Putin and Al Saud praised bilateral cooperation in the OPEC+ format. The politicians agreed that the agreements reached on oil production cuts, together with voluntary commitments to limit the supply of raw materials, help ensure the stability of the global energy market.

In addition, the speakers praised the intensification of multifaceted cooperation between Russia and Saudi Arabia. The conversation also touched upon issues of mutual interest to expand cooperation in trade and economic, transport and logistics spheres, as reported by the official website of the President of Russia.

Following the BRICS summit in South Africa, it was decided to expand the group. Argentina, Egypt, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE will join the bloc from 1 January 2024.

Photo: Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs/ CGTN