Press release on Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s talks with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud

On July 4, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held talks with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, who is in Moscow on a working visit.  

The ministers called for maintaining a regular Russian-Saudi dialogue and intensifying delegation exchanges. They stressed the need for promoting their countries’ business partnership and ensuring stable positive dynamics in bilateral trade.  The ministers also pointed to the important coordinating role played by the Joint Intergovernmental Russian-Saudi Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technological Cooperation, confirming relevance of continued effective collaboration between Russia and Saudi Arabia in the OPEC+ format.

The foreign ministers compared notes on the key international and regional issues. Priority was given to the recent dramatic escalation in relations between Iran and Israel. They expressed hope that the ceasefire would be stable, something that will make it possible to avoid a recurrence of armed confrontation.   They stressed the importance of collective efforts aimed at settling the remaining differences by the political and diplomatic means and promoting a constructive agenda in the Middle East. 

They also stated that it was necessary to adopt urgent measures to de-escalate the situation in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict zone and invigorate efforts in order to create conditions for an early resumption of the negotiating process due to culminate in the establishment of an independent Palestinian state within the 1967 borders, a state coexisting in peace and security with Israel.   

Sergey Lavrov praised Saudi Arabia’s steps to settle the Yemeni crisis. It was noted that the way towards a permanent stabilisation in the Republic of Yemen lay through the launching of a full-format UN-mediated national dialogue involving all political forces of Yemen.  The ministers confirmed the relevance of energetic actions by UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg, who seeks to achieve long-term normalisation. 

While discussing the situation in and around Syria, the ministers confirmed Moscow and Riyadh’s position of principle in support of a comprehensive effort to overcome the consequences of the years-long conflict in the SAR and preserve its unity, territorial integrity and sovereignty.   

Sergey Lavrov set forth Russian appraisals with regard to the emerging geopolitical realities, including the state of affairs in an around Ukraine. He emphasised Russia’s focus on achieving a comprehensive, fair and stable settlement of the Ukraine crisis, which is only possible via a full and irreversible eradication of its root causes.