Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan's visit to Moscow began on Tuesday. As part of his meetings, Bin Farhan will meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Bilateral relations between Russia and Saudi Arabia, along with regional and international developments of mutual interest, will be the main topics of the planned meeting.
Security and energy on the Moscow-Riyadh agenda
Russia's Foreign Ministry announced that Lavrov and Bin Farhan will discuss regional security, energy, nuclear cooperation and joint cultural activities.
Riyadh and Moscow believe that tensions in the Gulf should not escalate further. The two countries also support restoring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, which holds a strategic position for energy and commercial shipments.
Disputes between the United States and Iran over navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, along with the deadlock in the negotiation process, have brought these issues to the agenda.
Oil prices and Iran-Arab relations
Russia's Foreign Ministry said a significant rise in oil prices was expected if the tensions continued. The ministry noted that Saudi Arabia and Russia could play a constructive role on this issue because they are members of OPEC+.
Lavrov and Bin Farhan are also expected to assess the activation of a collective security framework and the comprehensive normalization of relations between Iran and Arab countries.
The Saudi and Russian foreign ministries did not provide information on the duration of the visit.
Iranian authorities said that more than 3,000 people had been killed in the US and Israeli attacks that began on February 28. Americans and Israelis were reported to have been killed in Iran's retaliatory attacks, while Tehran targeted US military facilities and equipment in Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia.
