Kremlin says Putin to pay working visits to Saudi Arabia, UAE

ISTANBUL

The Kremlin on Tuesday announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin will pay working visits to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday.

"President Putin will pay working visits to the UAE and Saudi Arabia tomorrow," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists in a press briefing in Moscow, adding that the visits will take place on the same day.

Peskov said issues related to the oil market, as well as bilateral and international issues, will be on the agenda of Putin’s visit to the region.

“You know that these discussions are being conducted within the OPEC+ format, but, of course, interaction in this area is always on the agenda,” Peskov said when asked whether the topic of oil will be raised.

Peskov added that issues on the bilateral and international level will also be discussed during the talks in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, indicating that the exchanges of views will also include the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

He added that despite this, discussions in this regard will primarily focus on bilateral relations.

Putin's visits will be his first to both countries and the Gulf region in over four years.

Peskov also announced that Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi will arrive in Moscow on Thursday for an official visit to hold talks with Putin.​​​​​​​