Putin Hosts Saudi King On Landmark Visit As Oil, Arms Top Agenda

king Salman’s visit to russia is the first ever from a Saudi monarch

- Henry Meyer, Ilya Arkhipov & Stephen Bierman

Russia and Saudi Arabia struck a deal on weapons sales during an historic visit to Moscow by King Salman bin Abdulaziz as the two energy superpowers also consider extending a pact to curb oil supplies.

President Vladimir Putin said the Kremlin talks earlier this month with King Salman, the first monarch of the Gulf kingdom to come to Russia, were a “landmark event.” The king told him that Saudi Arabia wants to continue cooperation with Russia in order to maintain stability on the oil market.

Russia signed contracts to provide advanced S-400 air-defence systems as well as anti-tank weapons and multiple-rocket launchers, Saudi Arabian Military Industries said in an emailed statement. The two countries will also set up a joint military-technical cooperation commission, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.

King Salman’s journey to Moscow, ahead of planned talks with President Donald Trump in Washington early next year, is a recognition by Riyadh of the changing political balance in the Middle East after Putin successfully countered indecisive US efforts to topple Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad. The Saudi courtship of Russia also reflects a convergence of interests between the world’s two largest oil exporters as output cuts negotiated by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and non-OPEC producers has spurred a recovery in crude prices.