Russia–Saudi Arabia relations

Russian and Saudi foreign ministers discuss situation in Syria

MOSCOW, February 12. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Saudi Arabian counterpart Adel Al-Jubeir have discussed the situation in Syria and bilateral cooperation on the sidelines of Munich Security Conference, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Friday.

"Lavrov and Al-Jubeir discussed the current condition and prospects of Russian-Saudi relations," the foreign ministry said. "They confirmed mutual plans to develop and improve them, to boost cooperation in different spheres," the ministry added.

"At the meeting, they also considered in detail pressing regional issues with an emphasis on the situation in Syria," the foreign ministry noted.


More:
http://tass.ru/en/politics/856270

The world’s two biggest crude producers have agreed not to increase oil output, according to Qatar’s energy minister, quoted by Bloomberg. OPEC members, such as Venezuela and Nigeria, have been calling for an emergency meeting of the cartel to discuss crude prices that have fallen over 70 percent since 2014.

Putin says Russia interested in ongoing dialogue with Saudi Arabia

"We believe, of course, no major issue in the region can be settled without Saudi Arabia," Putin said

HANGZHOU /China/, September 4. /TASS/. Russia pays special attention to expanding of the diverse cooperation with Saudi Arabia, which is the biggest oil producer, and without which no major international problem could be settled, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin said during a meeting with successor of the Kingdom’s Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman on sidelines of the G20 summit in China on Sunday.

"We are paying special attention to expanding of the diverse and mutually beneficial cooperation with Saudi Arabia," Putin said. "This is also true about our bilateral relations, meaning we are biggest oil producing countries."

"We believe, of course, no major issue in the region can be settled without Saudi Arabia," he said.

The Russian leader stressed it is very important for Russia to support ongoing contact with Saudi Arabia.


More:
http://tass.com/politics/897769

Saudi Arabia -Russia relations.

Visit by Saudi Monarch to Moscow .. to last for 4 days .
4 days from wednesday to Sunday .. what the hell  

Russ saud :Back to teh future

Russ Saudi redux

news reports wrote:A summit between the Saudi King and Russian President Vladimir Putin will be held on Thursday
to discuss enhancing and developing bilateral relations, and would also tackle a number of regional and international issues.
The visit will last until Sunday.

news wrote:“We hope that this visit will give a new powerful impetus to the development of bilateral relations,
because the potential of our relations is much richer than the de facto situation, and we want to develop our
dialogue in every possible way,” Peskov said.

nuke plants and renewable energy combo .. strange mix eh? wrote:Saudi King’s official visit will also witness the signing of Russia of a number of memorandums and agreements
with 6 Saudi governmental bodies.Two Saudi companies will also sign a number of deals with four Russian companies.
The visit will also see the delivery of a number of investment permits.
Asked whether the visit of King Salman constitutes a sign of the rapprochement of positions between Moscow and Riyadh,
particularly concerning the Syrian crisis, Peskov said: “Saudi Arabia is a state that plays an important role in Arab
and inter-Arab affairs. It is the leader of the Arab world.”
He added that Russia is undoubtedly interested to keep its dialogue with the Kingdom.

Kirill Dmitriev, the head of the sovereign Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), said on Tuesday that the fund was in the final
stage of negotiations with Saudi partners about major Russian projects in the kingdom, without giving specifics.He said, however,
that the fund and its Saudi partners would announce the creation of a new investment platform in energy sectors, as well as
investments in industry and infrastructure.One of the sources said there was interest in Saudi Arabia’s renewable energy sector,
where the kingdom was looking for up to $50 billion in investment to help it produce 10 percent of its power from renewable sources.
Saudi Arabia is also looking at nuclear energy to meet rising domestic power demand so more of its crude oil could be exported or converted into petrochemicals, rather than being used to generate electricity.

Russia to take 2nd place after U.S ..? wrote:The Kremlin’s hand has also been strengthened by uncertainty over US president Donald
Trump’s Middle East policies.“The Saudis see the writing on the wall. They are hedging their bets, unsure whether the United States is
committed fully to the region’s security,” says Vladimir Frolov, a well-connected Russian foreign policy analyst. “[But] Russia is not replacing the United States in the region, the resources committed are incomparable, it is trying to be a second choice.”
Although the Kremlin’s Syria strategy has proved to be a foreign policy success for Mr Putin and boosted Moscow’s standing in the Middle East, ordinary Russians have little enthusiasm for the war. A poll by the independent Levada Centre in early September indicated only 30 per cent of Russians want the Kremlin’s military operation in Syria to continue. That figure would be likely to slump even lower in the event of a large number of Russian casualties in Syria, says Mr Frolov.

Despite what the Moscow Carnegie Centre think-tank describes as “deep distrust” between Russia and Saudi Arabia, co-operation by the
world’s two largest oil exporters, along with other OPEC member states, has been successful in driving up the price of oil. Russia’s economy
is massively dependent on oil revenues: Mr Putin needs higher global oil prices to allow him to stem rising unhappiness that has been triggered
in part by falling living standards.

This visit will truly be a tectonic shift in equations resulting in huge opportunities for Russian and Saudi people

Saudi Arabia's King Salman arrived in Moscow on Wednesday for a state visit, and Russian officials have prepared an impressive reception for the 81-year-old royal: The Russian capital will celebrate a highly publicized “Saudi Culture Week” as the king arrives, and the Saudi delegation, which typically travels in a grandiose style, is taking over the entire Moscow Ritz-Carlton.

The sense of occasion is understandable. This is the first official visit by a Saudi king to Russia in the two nations' histories. And it will be watched closely around the world — perhaps especially in Washington.

The United States has been Saudi Arabia's most important ally for more than 70 years. In contrast, Riyadh forged relations with Moscow only after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Even then, it took a while for things to warm up: Although Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the Saudi capital in 2007, then-King Abdullah didn't repay the favor.

Times have changed. Abdullah died in 2015, leaving Salman and his powerful young son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in charge. Amid geopolitical uncertainty, with U.S. global leadership questioned and oil prices depressed, Saudi Arabia and Russia appear to have reconsidered their arm's-length relationship and moved toward something closer.

“The Saudi-Russian energy relationship is part of a larger nexus of mutual interests,” said Theodore Karasik, a senior adviser with Washington-based Gulf State Analytics, noting that Russia had been working on this relationship “under America's nose” for a decade, while Mohammed has visited Russia twice recently.

For the two largest oil producers in the world, much of the focus during the trip will be on energy politics. Saudi Arabia and Russia are expected to reach an agreement to cooperate on oil production, probably finalizing a $1 billion fund to invest in energy projects. Saudi Arabia, which is in the process of diversifying its economy, is particularly keen for outside investment.

But the two oil giants most probably won't stick to business alone. Moscow has become an undeniable political force in the Middle East. “There is little doubt that Saudi Arabia greatly values its relations with Russia and views them as multidimensional in nature,” said Fahad Nazer, a political consultant to the Saudi Embassy in Washington who does not speak on its behalf.

Of particular interest will be the shifting realities in Syria, where Moscow backs the government and Saudi Arabia and the United States back the opposition. As recently as last year, Russia's backing of President Bashar al-Assad and the influence of Iran and its proxies in Syria was a major bone of contention with Saudi Arabia. But, again, realities have changed.

“The Saudis are basically conceding that Assad will remain in power, but now hope to gain Russian help in keeping Iranian influence in Syria (and elsewhere) limited,” Mark Katz, a Russia specialist at the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University, wrote in an email. “They will hold out the prospect of Saudi trade and investment as an inducement. It is not clear, though, that Moscow actually can do much to limit Iranian influence in Syria. And if the Saudis think that Moscow can't or won't, the Saudi trade and investment will not materialize.”

What this means for the United States is unclear. Salman's visit to Russia comes at a time of heightened tensions between Moscow and Washington. Although President Trump has embraced Saudi Arabia, even making the country his first foreign stop as leader of the United States, some analysts have suggested that Riyadh may be looking toward Russia because of uncertainty about Washington's intentions in the Middle East.

“The Saudis recognize that Russia is back as a major player in the region with their victories in Syria,” said Bruce Riedel, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and a former senior CIA analyst. He added, “A dialogue with Putin is also a hedge on their bet on Trump, who has disappointed them on Qatar,” which is embroiled in a political dispute with several Arab states, including Saudi Arabia.

Would Saudi Arabia trade its lengthy relationship with the United States, born all those years ago from a Suez Canal meeting between President Franklin D. Roosevelt and the first Saudi king, for a new one with Putin's Russia? Probably not. But the kingdom has shown itself willing to dramatically reconsider some aspects of its society recently, from loosening the oil industry's stranglehold on the economy to allowing Saudi women to drive, long a sticking point in the country's culture wars.

Standing closer with Russia may be easier than either of those goals. “Generally speaking, there is wide support in Saudi Arabia for strengthening and broadening political, economic and cultural ties with Russia,” Nazer said.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2017/10/04/why-washington-will-be-watching-a-saudi-kings-visit-to-moscow/?utm_term=.b26643e39149

I am sure the Russians will talk with the Saudis, but at the end of the day the spread of Shia muslims like Iran has is much preferable to the spread of Sunni muslims as the Saudis encourage.

Iran has less money than the Saudis but the Iranians are also rather more benign and easier to live with.

My thoughts are that as in the past both Iran and Saudi Arabia will talk about spending a lot of money on Russian products (mostly military), but at the end of the day the Iranians will buy a few bits and pieces and locally produce certain things, and Saudi Arabia will change its mind and not buy anything.

The usual WaPo drivel, written by pro-establishment pressitutes in Murica's most blatantly Russophobic "newspaper".

crod wrote:Saudi Arabia, which is in the process of diversifying its economy, is particularly keen for outside investment.

That's a fools errand.  Saudis are notorious for being lazy and shiftless and have a universal allergy to anything that looks like work.  Anything that needs doing is done by a Filipino, Indian, or Bangladeshi.  KSA is going to implode when its oil runs out, it'll be a bloodbath.

GarryB wrote:Iran has less money than the Saudis but the Iranians are also rather more benign and easier to live with.

Not at the rate the Saudis are burning through their FOREX reserves...  KSA budget (ie funding the royal family extravagances and bribing the populace to stay compliant) is unsustainable with $50-60 oil, and these shifty goat-fondlers know it...

Big_Gazza wrote:The usual WaPo drivel, written by pro-establishment pressitutes in Murica's most blatantly Russophobic "newspaper".

crod wrote:Saudi Arabia, which is in the process of diversifying its economy, is particularly keen for outside investment.

That's a fools errand.  Saudis are notorious for being lazy and shiftless and have a universal allergy to anything that looks like work.  Anything that needs doing is done by a Filipino, Indian, or Bangladeshi.  KSA is going to implode when its oil runs out, it'll be a bloodbath.

GarryB wrote:Iran has less money than the Saudis but the Iranians are also rather more benign and easier to live with.

Not at the rate the Saudis are burning through their FOREX reserves...  KSA budget (ie funding the royal family extravagances and bribing the populace to stay compliant) is unsustainable with $50-60 oil, and these shifty goat-fondlers know it...

I thought it was a decent article as far as Russia-related ones go. Sticks to the facts and reasonable analysis, without heading off into BS territory.

Only thing is that they pegged Saudi-Russian relations as only having started in 1991 - when in fact the USSR was the first country in the world to recognize Saudi Arabia back in the 20s; a fact one Saudi I knew brought up immediately with me when he made my acquaintance.

Anyhow Saudi Arabia as noted above is not even remotely a reliable partner. This visit looks good for the media, for mutual domestic audiences, and in terms of gaining leverage on the US perhaps - but in practice the Saudis are going to make their money and investments contingent on some short-term political demands, as they always do, and Russia has no appetite for trying to reign in Iran in Syria so that's that.

If the Saudis had any sense they'd pick the Japanese & South Korean strategy instead, of courting Russia over a long period of time and expanding ties and investments with it with a view for the long-term.

This year's Russian Far East development forum was attended by the Japanese, South Korean and Mongolian heads of government/state; and was in fact pretty much hijacked by the former 2 and their agenda for the North Korean crisis - and Putin had basically no choice but to go along with it and acquiese to the pressure to bad-mouth and sanction North Korea.
How did they do it? Simple - they already had good relations with Russia that they had cultivated for over a decade; with their mega-corporations being responsible for thousands of jobs in Russia and millions of roubles of tax revenue - and were proposing to invest yet more. While at the same time their demands were reasonable and Russia had little to lose from fulfilling them - North Korea was breaking UN resolutions anyway and Russia had minimal trade with it.

Saudi Arabia on the other hand offers too little too late and demands too much.

gaurav wrote:Saudi Arabia -Russia relations.

Visit by Saudi Monarch to Moscow .. to last for 4 days .
4 days from wednesday to Sunday .. what the hell  


This visit will truly be a tectonic shift in equations resulting in huge opportunities for Russian and Saudi people

Not sure if King of KSA careas about people in Russia or KSA. Surely about own status. IMHO Russia can accept Saudis "imperial tax" for things you cannot close sell or take out. Like highways, roads, ports or railway. If Saudis go bad you can take it form them if they behave still billions invested give multiplication effect and release resources to other things like hi tech.

GunshipDemocracy wrote:

gaurav wrote:Saudi Arabia -Russia relations.

Visit by Saudi Monarch to Moscow .. to last for 4 days .
4 days from wednesday to Sunday .. what the hell  


This visit will truly be a tectonic shift in equations resulting in huge opportunities for Russian and Saudi people

Not sure if King of KSA careas about people in Russia or  KSA. Surely about own status. IMHO Russia can accept Saudis  "imperial tax"  for things you cannot close sell or take out. Like highways, roads, ports or railway.  If Saudis go bad you can take it form them if they behave still billions invested give multiplication effect and release resources to other things like hi tech.

It's funny because the latest news is that Saudi Arabia is planning to invest into among other things - Russian toll roads/highways, a stake in St. Petersburg airport, business/commercial complexes and a hydroelectric power plant. Smart Russians

The other deals are investment funds, Saudi participation in a 2nd LNG project in the Russian Arctic (the 1st being the Yamal LNG project that is just coming online), logistics, and also interestingly enough - the construction of a petrochemical plant in Saudi Arabia with the participation of Sibur (Russia's top petrochemical company), and negotiations over Rosatom building a nuclear power plant in Saudi Arabia. And these things aren't exactly short-term projects that are easy to cancel.. you cancel the construction of an NPP and you will have to pay a lot of damages, and will have wasted years of time and plenty of money aside from that too.

Saudi Arabia to invest record $10 bn in Russia

https://www.rt.com/business/272104-russia-saudi-investment-partnership/

Your move Iran...

PapaDragon wrote:
Saudi Arabia to invest record $10 bn in Russia

https://www.rt.com/business/272104-russia-saudi-investment-partnership/

Your move Iran...

Iran does not have so much free cash as Saudis but much better technical graduates and potentially important market due to size. US unlikely let this 100 bln usd of Iranian money go so easily. If they are released then civilian aircraft or mechanical plants would be nice addition.

BTW fom Saudis I'd expect 20+ bln or in Yemen or Syria should be more sunni whacking

GunshipDemocracy wrote:..............
Iran does not have so much free cash as Saudis but much better technical graduates and potentially important market due to size.  US unlikely let this 100 bln usd of Iranian money go so easily.  If they are released then civilian aircraft or mechanical plants would be nice addition.

BTW fom Saudis I'd expect 20+ bln or in Yemen or Syria should be more sunni whacking

It's only first day. And Iran definitely has cash, not as much as Sauds but quite enough.

I expect them to show up soon after this, they wouldn't want to be upstaged by Great Satan's Minion (TM).

I just hope either Sauds or Iran drop some cash for SSJ-100. It's not like they don't need something like that.

PapaDragon wrote: I expect them to show up soon after this, they wouldn't want to be upstaged by Great Satan's Minion (TM).

PapaDragon wrote:vI just hope either Sauds or Iran drop some cash for SSJ-100. It's not like they don't need something like that.

The Great Satan is gonna say no for SJ100 for Iran. Sauds would be nice suprise to buy 50 or so

If negotiations stall at some point Saudis can always watch RT channel showing new Caliber salvos. Then investment climate will increase dramatically
Roads, airports good railways too. This increases productivity. Even electrical grids. Easier to open business to deliver goodies or commute.

But any cash investment can be wasted as long as liberastic block is in power. How minister of economic development can only report what happens and not trying influence what is going to happen?!

PapaDragon wrote:
Saudi Arabia to invest record $10 bn in Russia

https://www.rt.com/business/272104-russia-saudi-investment-partnership/

Your move Iran...

Iran doesnt have as much money to throw around.

But what they do have is a big market, a rapidly industrializimg economy with great strides taken in arms production, space technologies and other high-tech fields.
It's very important for Russia to become a key player in Iran's rise; as much as the US was in say South Korea's.

The Saudis for their part have announced a plan to develop their non-oil economy and high-tech fields, various industries; to completely diversify their economy.
It's also important for Russia to take a role there. But where Iran has proven itself, I'm still going to treat the Saudi effort with skeptisism until they have reached some achievements.

flamming_python wrote:.................
It's also important for Russia to take a role there. But where Iran has proven itself, I'm still going to treat the Saudi effort with skeptisism until they have reached some achievements.

You are right, Sauds are shifty dicks but money is changing hands so there should be something.

Iran is reliable if not loaded with cash. Still some purchases would be nice. They bought Airbus jetliners even though they were supposed to be hostile owned. No excuse not to buy some airplanes from non-hostile competition as well.

PapaDragon wrote:

flamming_python wrote:.................
It's also important for Russia to take a role there. But where Iran has proven itself, I'm still going to treat the Saudi effort with skeptisism until they have reached some achievements.

You are right, Sauds are shifty dicks but money is changing hands so there should be something.

Iran is reliable if not loaded with cash. Still some purchases would be nice. They bought Airbus jetliners even though they were supposed to be hostile owned. No excuse not to buy some airplanes from non-hostile competition as well.

Purchases would be nice, but I am more interested in preferential investments into the Iranian economy and joint-ventures.

Iran is big on local production so they'll have some tough terms when it comes to buying a lot of things. Which isn't a problem either. Are they still planing to produce Tu-204s?

GarryB wrote:
but at the end of the day the Iranians will buy  a few bits and pieces and locally produce certain things,

Will Iran get the SU-30 or 35? Could it build something comparable itself?

starman wrote:

GarryB wrote:
but at the end of the day the Iranians will buy  a few bits and pieces and locally produce certain things,

Will Iran get the SU-30 or 35? Could it build something comparable itself?

No. Russia cannot and will not supply these items - the trade embargo rules is very clear.

Not sure if they will remain in place however if, as suggested yesterday, Trump is about to pull out of the nuclear deal. My gut feeling is that Russia will not supply in any event as there will be too much pressure from israel, US and KSA etc.

which neither of those countries has influence over Russia.

Washington already pushed for THAAD sales to Saudi Arabia day after they say they want S-400's.  So kiss S-400 deal goodbye.  Saudi Arabia has nothing on Russia.  Only one Russia will talk with so far is Israel.

Iran is a nation that technically borders Russia through Caspian Sea, so it would be in their interest to make sure that Iran stays somewhat together and not attacked/destroyed by the US.  Which so far, judging by Trumps attitude, may be just that case - either Iran or North Korea will get attacked.  Now, he may not go against NK because of the fact that they probably already have nukes and the counter attack by NK against SK and Japan would be so devastating, that their proclaimed surgical strikes to take out NK missiles first hand, wont actually work, especially if NK decides to hide them.

As for Japan thing, Japan barely has the ability to twist Russia. It is South Korea, which has pretty good relations with Russia. Russia has not so good relations with Japan because Japan's unwillingness to even counter the US and just goes along with it (sanctions as example). So Japan kind of shot itself in the foot, especially since China/Russian relations are at an all time high, both sides want same exact thing out of NK. But rest assured, Russia and China wont simply allow the US to attack NK, if at least NK doesn't do anything stupid. I doubt they will though cause they know the price they would have to pay. US on the other hand has a history of being stupid.

flamming_python wrote:
I thought it was a decent article as far as Russia-related ones go. Sticks to the facts and reasonable analysis, without heading off into BS territory.

Hmmm... went back and had another look and you're correct. I'd been reading other WaPo articles that day, and I think my bullshit-o-meter was stuck on red part of the dial... Good pickup, ty for the reality check

miketheterrible wrote:
Iran is a nation that technically borders Russia through Caspian Sea, so it would be in their interest to make sure that Iran stays somewhat together and not attacked/destroyed by the US.  Which so far, judging by Trumps attitude, may be just that case - either Iran or North Korea will get attacked.  Now, he may not go against NK because of the fact that they probably already have nukes and the counter attack by NK against SK and Japan would be so devastating, that their proclaimed surgical strikes to take out NK missiles first hand, wont actually work, especially if NK decides to hide them.

I don't think the US will attack Iran either. Besides driving Iran fully into the Russian camp it would cause the price of oil to go through the roof.

crod wrote:
No. Russia cannot and will not supply these items - the trade embargo rules is very clear.

Even if Trump doesn't undermine the deal, this may be a blessing in disguise. When the prohibition on arms imports finally expires, Russia might be able to sell the T-50.

My gut feeling is that Russia will not supply in any event as there will be too much pressure from israel, US and KSA etc.

Surely Israel and KSA don't have that much influence.

Trump already sold them the THAAD for billions, I don't think the US cares for this visit.