MOSCOW, 4 September 2003 — Saudi and Russian officials agreed yesterday to coordinate their anti-terrorism efforts as part of a landmark visit by Crown Prince Abdullah, deputy premier and commander of the National Guard.
“The international community faces international threats and challenges such as terrorism, and we must cooperate closely to resolve these problems,” said Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov at the start of yesterday’s talks with his Saudi counterpart Prince Saud Al-Faisal. Ivanov later told reporters that he and Prince Saud had agreed to set up a bilateral working group that would coordinate action against terrorism.
Prince Abdullah chatted yesterday with Chechnya’s Moscow-appointed chief Akhmad Kadyrov, who was among Russian officials greeting the Saudi delegation as it arrived for talks with Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov and other Russian Cabinet members.
The Russian premier said Prince Abdullah’s visit would give a strong boost to bilateral cooperation. “There are good prospects for increasing economic and commercial ties,” he added.
Prince Abdullah expressed the hope that his visit to Moscow would bring the two nations closer. “We very much want to enhance economic cooperation,” he said.
The crown prince said Saudi Arabia would work together with Russia to establish peace all over the world. “With God’s help we will be able to take steps to protect humanity from the tension that is troubling the world.”
The talks between Prince Abdullah and Kasyanov also focused on the situation in Palestine and the developments in Iraq, the Saudi Press Agency said. It said the crown prince invited Kasyanov to visit Saudi Arabia.
Prince Abdullah also called on the mayor of Moscow, who said the royal visit would open a new era in Saudi-Russian relations.
The prince later toured Moscow’s cultural and historic landmarks.
The crown prince also opened a Saudi industrial exhibition in the Russian capital organized by the Council of Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Industry. About 40 Saudi companies are exhibiting their products at the show.
A Saudi-Russian cultural meet was also opened here yesterday to mark the royal visit. Prince Abdullah received the Saudi delegation taking part in the weeklong event which aims to highlight the Kingdom’s cultural progress.
Russian and Saudi energy ministers met again yesterday to discuss the situation in the world oil market and possible participation of Russian companies in natural gas projects in Saudi Arabia.
Russia and Saudi Arabia yesterday called for the full implementation of the road map toward a peace settlement in the Middle East, countering a claim by Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat that the plan is dead.
