RIYADH, Saudi Arabia: Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Mohammed bin Salman, received Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday to discuss regional and international developments, as well as ways to strengthen bilateral ties.
During the meeting at Al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh, the two sides reviewed relations between the two friendly countries and discussed ways to enhance and develop them in various fields, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Tuesday.
The Crown Prince welcomed Minister Lavrov and his accompanying delegation to the Kingdom. The two sides exchanged views on regional and international developments and the efforts exerted towards them to achieve security and stability.
The meeting was attended by Minister of National Guard Prince Abdullah bin Bandar, Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan, and Minister of State, Member of the Cabinet, and National Security Adviser Dr. Musaed bin Mohammed Al-Aiban.
On the Russian side, the meeting was attended by Aide to the President of the Russian Federation Yury Ushakov, the Russian Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Sergey Kozlov, and several senior officials from the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Lavrov is in Saudi Arabia for the first round of direct talks between the United States and Russia, aimed at seeking an end to the war in Ukraine.
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The US delegation was led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, accompanied by National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff.
The meeting signals a departure from the stance of former US President Joe Biden’s administration, which had avoided direct diplomatic engagement with Russia, arguing that Moscow was not serious about ending the war.
Despite the diplomatic overture, Ukraine has reiterated that it was not invited to the talks and warned that no agreements can be made on its behalf without its direct involvement.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has stressed the need for security guarantees and the restoration of Ukraine’s territorial integrity, stating that Kyiv “will never, under any circumstances, recognise our temporarily occupied territories as part of Russia.”
