Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince dials Vladimir Putin to talk about Ukraine, Yemen & OPEC+

In the midst of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman dialed Russian President Vladimir Putin where the two leaders not only discussed the situation in Ukraine but also talked about the crisis in Yemen. Kremlin suggests that the two leaders also talked about the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC+) deal on oil reduction. Kremlin announced that they shared views on a number of foreign issues, including the situation in Ukraine and Yemen.

Putin and bin Salman also discussed topics related to bilateral ties. They expressed their shared desire to see Russia and Saudi Arabia build mutually beneficial partnerships in the future. Kremlin's statement further said they offered a favourable appraisal to collective cooperation within OPEC+ with the goal of guaranteeing global oil market stability.

Putin wished Saudi Arabia's leadership and people a happy Ramadan

Putin also wished Saudi Arabia's leadership and people a happy Ramadan. Both parties agreed to keep in touch. Putin and Saudi Arabia's crown prince had a previous phone chat on March 3. Talking about the Ukraine crisis, bin Salman stated that the Kingdom supports the initiatives that will lead to a political solution to the crisis in Ukraine and achieve security and stability.

On the other hand, OPEC lowered its forecast for growth for world oil demand growth in 2022 on April 12, citing the impact of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, growing inflation, and the recurrence of the omicron variant of coronavirus strain in China as reasons, according to Alarabia News. Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February, oil prices soared to $139 a barrel, the highest level since 2008.

Bin Salman had a conversation with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday

In the meanwhile, Bin Salman also had a conversation with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday where they discussed Ukraine. China's state media reported that Beijing is seeking "high-level" collaboration with Saudi Arabia in energy, trade, and high technology. Chinese President Xi Jinping stated that China prioritizes the development of its relations with Saudi Arabia and is ready to collaborate with the kingdom to continue deepening their comprehensive strategic cooperation and deliver greater advantages to the people of the two countries, according to CGTN.

Image: AP