MOSCOW, 3 September 2003 — “This day will go down in history,” declared Crown Prince Abdullah, deputy premier and commander of the National Guard, during talks here yesterday with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who also hailed Saudi Arabia as “one of the most important Muslim nations.”
Crown Prince Abdullah is the highest-ranking Saudi official to visit Moscow since 1932, the year the Kingdom was unified.
Both the Saudi and Russian leaders agreed that their talks were a landmark event.
Crown Prince Abdullah began his historic visit to Russia with the signing of a landmark energy cooperation agreement between the two countries.
Despite the unseasonally chilly September weather, Putin warmly welcomed the crown prince at the Kremlin.
“We pay special attention to your visit since we view Saudi Arabia as one of the most important Muslim nations,” Putin said at the start of the talks.
“There are many issues that link us because they represent the interests of both Russia and Saudi Arabia,” he added.
Prince Abdullah replied: “Russia holds a special place in our hearts since it was the first nation to recognize the young Saudi government.”
The two sides got off to a good start by signing a framework five-year oil and natural gas cooperation agreement, which Russia’s Energy Minister Igor Yusufov said could lead to deals worth up to $25 billion.
In their two hours of talks the two leaders covered a wide range of issues, including the Middle East conflict, postwar Iraq and bilateral relations. On the Middle East, the crown prince emphasized the Palestinians’ right to an independent state with Jerusalem as its capital. He also highlighted the Saudi peace plan which set out a comprehensive solution to the conflict.
“We are ready for a complete normalization following a total withdrawal and once the rights of the Palestinians are assured in their entirety, including the right of return and the establishment of Jerusalem as the capital of the Palestinian state,” Prince Abdullah said.
He described the road map and Russia’s contribution to it as a positive step, adding that he appreciated Russia’s support past and present.
Speaking on Iraq, the crown prince called for international efforts to establish peace and stability in the war-torn country under the umbrella of a legitimate government.
The two leaders also discussed their countries’ efforts to fight all forms of terrorism.
“We want to strengthen our cooperation to fight terror. We have already declared a war on terror that will end only with its eradication,” the crown prince said.
President Putin also stressed that both countries stood on the same side in the war on terror.
Commentators here focused on the energy cooperation between the two countries.
Saudi Arabia has the world’s largest oil reserves while Russia is the biggest exporter of oil outside the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). Russia produces some 8.4 million barrels of crude oil a day, of which about 36 percent (or just over 3 million barrels) is exported.
“The Saudis are not looking for a specific commitment in terms of Russia agreeing to maintain a certain export level or cutting output,” said Julian Lee, a senior energy analyst with the London-based Center for Global Energy Studies.
“I believe they are looking for a much more general agreement in which the Russian government would state that it is interested in stabilizing oil prices at a level adequate for oil producers and not damaging for consumer countries’ economies,” the energy analyst told the Moscow Times.
The potential of Saudi investment in Russia “could lead to a monstrous leap forward for Moscow” in the energy sector, a Russian paper said.
The crown prince was accompanied by a high-level delegation, including Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal, Oil Minister Ali Al-Naimi and Finance Minister Ibrahim Al-Assaf.
Officials in Moscow said the meeting was important because it would help revive Russia’s relations with the Islamic world.
“The recent political contacts between Russia and Saudi Arabia — on various levels — are helping us develop relations with a range of Islamic organizations, and one of the most authoritative of these is the Organization of the Islamic Conference,” chief Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Yakovenko told Channel One television.
The Russian president mentioned the possibility of Moscow joining the 57-member Organization of Islamic Conference last month — although he noted that Russia, which has a population of some 20 million Muslims, was likely to join the pan-Islamic organization as an observer.
The Kremlin meeting also saw the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Council of Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Industry and the Russian chamber as well as accords for cooperation in sports and science and technology.
