{"id":19987,"date":"2023-12-07T15:32:27","date_gmt":"2023-12-07T13:32:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/?p=19987"},"modified":"2023-12-07T15:52:55","modified_gmt":"2023-12-07T13:52:55","slug":"russian-president-putin-hold-talks-with-saudi-and-uae-leaders-on-rare-trip-to-middle-east","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/russian-president-putin-hold-talks-with-saudi-and-uae-leaders-on-rare-trip-to-middle-east\/","title":{"rendered":"Russian President Putin hold talks with Saudi and UAE leaders on rare trip to Middle East"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman in Riyadh and UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi in a one-day <strong>lightning<\/strong><\/strong> <strong>tour to the Gulf region aimed at strengthening partnerships. The visit defied U.S. and European efforts to isolate Putin on the global stage.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These were his first trips to the Middle Eastern region since the invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Escorted by four Su-35 fighter jets, Russian President Vladimir Putin\u2019s plane first landed in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on December 6, 2023, and a few hours later in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/tag\/saudi-arabia\/\"><span style=\"color:#ac0707\" class=\"has-inline-color\">Saudi Arabia<\/span><\/a>. After meeting his two counterparts in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/tag\/gulf\/\"><span style=\"color:#ac0707\" class=\"has-inline-color\">Gulf region<\/span><\/a>, Putin soon headed back to Moscow where he is expected to meet Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi at the Kremlin on December 7.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Putin rarely leaves Russia since the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued a warrant for his arrest for alleged war crimes committed in Ukraine. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/tag\/uae\/\"><span style=\"color:#ac0707\" class=\"has-inline-color\">UAE<\/span><\/a> and Saudi Arabia have not ratified the ICC statute and so are not obliged to arrest the Russian president.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><br><span class=\"has-inline-color has-black-color\">Putin meets Saudi Crown Prince in Riyadh<\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>In the Saudi capital of Riyadh, Putin and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman exchanged a strong handshake and smiles ahead of their meeting. The talks focused on energy, trade, and the Israel-Hamas war.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe have stable and very good relations in terms of political interaction, economics, and in the humanitarian sector,\u201d Putin said in remarks at the start of the two leaders\u2019 meeting. \u201cIt is very important for us to exchange information and assessments about what is happening in the region.\u201d Putin added that Russia-Saudi relations have \u201creached a level they never saw before.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman on a rare foreign trip to the Gulf region to strengthen partnerships. Putin and MBS discussed OPEC+ cooperation and the Middle East situation<a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/PwD8AF5mat\">pic.twitter.com\/PwD8AF5mat<\/a><\/p>\u2014 IRIA (@IRIA_Research) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/IRIA_Research\/status\/1732719727951352247?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 7, 2023<\/a><\/blockquote> <script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><br>\n\n\n\n<p>Saudi crown prince, who is known as MBS,&nbsp;praised joint coordination between the two countries that helped \u201calleviate tensions in the Middle East\u201d and will help \u201cbolster the security of the Middle East,\u201d Saudi state news agency SPA said. \u201cWe share many interests and collaborate on numerous files for the benefit of both Russia and the Kingdom, as well as the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/tag\/middle-east\/\"><span style=\"color:#ac0707\" class=\"has-inline-color\">Middle East<\/span><\/a> and the world at large,\u201d the Saudi Crown Prince said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The two sides underscored the bilateral cooperation between the two countries in the energy sector, agriculture, trade, investment, and other sectors, over the past seven years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The two leaders also discussed OPEC+ cooperation on oil markets and the Middle East situation. The meeting comes after oil prices fell despite a pledge by OPEC+, which groups the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and allies led by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/tag\/russia\/\"><span style=\"color:#ac0707\" class=\"has-inline-color\">Russia<\/span><\/a>, to further cut output. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying &#8220;The parties agree that our countries bear a great responsibility for interaction in order to maintain the international energy market at the proper level, in a stable, predictable state.\u201d Saudi Arabia and Russia are the world\u2019s two largest oil exporters, together controlling a fifth of the oil pumped each day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/PICTURES?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#PICTURES<\/a>: <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Saudi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Saudi<\/a> Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman welcomes Russian President Putin in <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Riyadh?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Riyadh<\/a>. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/Vll2v5dIaT\">pic.twitter.com\/Vll2v5dIaT<\/a><\/p>\u2014 Saudi Gazette (@Saudi_Gazette) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Saudi_Gazette\/status\/1732460903793054023?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 6, 2023<\/a><\/blockquote> <script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><br>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><br><span class=\"has-inline-color has-black-color\">Key Points from Saudi Arabia-Russia joint statement<\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>These are the highlight from the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.spa.gov.sa\/en\/N2010340\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><span style=\"color:#ac0707\" class=\"has-inline-color\">joint statement<\/span><\/a> issued after the meeting:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Saudi and Russian leaders agreed on the significance of expanding collaboration in various fields, including oil and gas, geoscience, environment, water, agriculture, technology, communications, judiciary, tourism, sports, education, media, and health.<\/li><li>The leaders commended the 46% increase in bilateral trade volume in 2022. They also affirmed bolstering economic collaboration by diversifying trade ties and exploring new trade and investment opportunities with a focus on joint investments.<\/li><li>In the energy sector, the two sides commended close cooperation and the successful efforts of OPEC+ in stabilizing global oil markets. They agreed to sustain this collaboration and urged all participating countries to adhere to the OPEC+ agreement for the benefit of producers and consumers.<\/li><li>In defense and security, the leaders agreed to enhance cooperation, combat crimes in all forms, and address terrorism and extremism. They agreed to strengthen international cooperation to combat cross-border corruption crimes.<\/li><li>Recognizing the importance of addressing climate change, the Russian side welcomed Saudi Arabia\u2019s launch of the \u201cSaudi Green Initiative\u201d and the \u201cMiddle East Green Initiative\u201d. Both nations stressed the necessity of adhering to international climate agreements, focusing on emissions rather than sources.<\/li><li>On international affairs, the two sides pledged to continue efforts to maintain international peace and security. They expressed concern about the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, stressed the need to halt military operations in the Palestinian territories, and the need to protect civilians in accordance with international law. The leaders also addressed developments in Ukraine, Yemen, Iran, Syria, and Sudan, highlighting their support for diplomatic solutions, humanitarian efforts, and regional stability.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><br><\/strong><span class=\"has-inline-color has-black-color\">Presidents of Russia and UAE meet in Abu Dhabi<\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>In Abu Dhabi, the UAE president hosted a welcoming ceremony at&nbsp;the&nbsp;Qasr Al Watan Palace for&nbsp;the&nbsp;Russian president.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and President Putin <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/wam.ae\/article\/aq01o4d-uae-and-russian-presidents-discuss-bilateral\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color:#ac0707\" class=\"has-inline-color\">discussed multifaceted ties<\/span><\/a> and explored prospects to enhance relations within the context of the bilateral strategic partnership. The dialogue also covered regional and international issues with a focus on developments in Palestine. Putin commended the UAE&#8217;s role on the global stage, particularly through its membership in the UN Security Council.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/UAE-President-with-Putin.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/UAE-President-with-Putin.jpg?resize=909%2C568&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"UAE President meets Putin\" class=\"wp-image-19986\" width=\"909\" height=\"568\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/UAE-President-with-Putin.jpg?resize=1024%2C640&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/UAE-President-with-Putin.jpg?resize=300%2C188&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/UAE-President-with-Putin.jpg?resize=768%2C480&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/UAE-President-with-Putin.jpg?w=1200&amp;ssl=1 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 909px) 100vw, 909px\" \/><\/a><figcaption><em><sup>UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Russian President Vladimir Putin hold discussions on the multifaceted ties between the UAE and Russia on December 6, 2023, in Abu Dhabi, UAE. (Image Credit: WAM)<\/sup><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Gaza crisis: <\/strong>The two leaders stressed the \u201cneed for international action to reach a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, protect civilians, and ensure the safe, unimpeded, and sustained delivery of humanitarian aid\u201d. The presidents of UAE and Russia underscored the importance of working towards a clear horizon for a lasting and comprehensive peace in the region based on the two-state solution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Ukraine war: <\/strong>The recent developments in Ukraine also came under discussion. Sheikh Zayed Al Nahyan said that the \u201cUAE is committed to resolving conflicts worldwide through diplomacy and dialogue\u201d, adding that this commitment is in line with the UAE&#8217;s established policy of promoting peace, cooperation, and stability regionally and globally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Economy and Trade:<\/strong> During the talks, the UAE president highlighted that \u201c<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"http:\/\/en.kremlin.ru\/events\/president\/news\/72918\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color:#ac0707\" class=\"has-inline-color\">UAE is Russia\u2019s biggest trade partner<\/span><\/a> in the Middle East and the Gulf Region\u201d. The Gulf state is also a major investor in the Russian economy with a notable 103% increase in non-oil sector investments last year. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan expressed eagerness to continue collaboration, prioritizing energy, infrastructure, and high technologies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-conversation=\"none\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Today in Abu Dhabi I discussed with President Vladimir Putin the ties between our two nations, and the importance of strengthening dialogue and cooperation to ensure stability and progress. The UAE will continue to support efforts aimed at enabling global growth, prosperity and\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/u7wxzvVbjv\">pic.twitter.com\/u7wxzvVbjv<\/a><\/p>\u2014 \u0645\u062d\u0645\u062f \u0628\u0646 \u0632\u0627\u064a\u062f (@MohamedBinZayed) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MohamedBinZayed\/status\/1732388807780028624?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 6, 2023<\/a><\/blockquote> <script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><br>\n\n\n\n<p>UAE&#8217;s president also mentioned joint efforts within international frameworks, including BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), where the UAE obtained dialogue partner status in May 2023. He also underlined ongoing work to enhance strategic dialogue between Russia and the Gulf Cooperation Council.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman in Riyadh and UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi in a lightning one-day tour to the Gulf region aimed at strengthening partnerships. The visit defied U.S. and European efforts to isolate Putin on the global stage.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":19985,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[62,44,1],"tags":[134,152,92,203,356,21,27,20,101,141,22],"class_list":["post-19987","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-europe","category-middle-east","category-news","tag-economy","tag-energy","tag-gaza","tag-gulf","tag-middle-east","tag-oil","tag-palestine","tag-russia","tag-saudi-arabia","tag-uae","tag-ukraine"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Putin-Saudi-crownprince.jpg?fit=690%2C370&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7jJWb-5cn","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19987","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19987"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19987\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20023,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19987\/revisions\/20023"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19985"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19987"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19987"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19987"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}