Russian Ambassador to the Kingdom Oleg Ozerov said here Sunday that in light of the current crisis in Syria including various domestic and regional issues, his country will be more open to strengthening bilateral ties with Saudi Arabia.

Speaking to local media, the envoy said that the two countries had recently seen several visits of high-ranking officials to the Kingdom including the Russian prime minister who extended condolences on behalf of his country to Saudi Arabia’s leadership and its people on the death of King Abdullah.

“These visits indicate Saudi Arabia’s importance for us, the region and the role it plays globally,” he said, adding “the visit also seeks to correct the misunderstandings on the Syrian issue and restore normalcy to our diplomatic relations.”

At a press conference with Saudi media representatives, Ozerov said that Russia and Saudi Arabia are working together to combat terrorism and finding solutions to the disputes in the region based on regional and GCC initiatives. “There are a number of joint interests which bind us including our stand on the Palestine issue,” he said.

On the decline in oil prices, the ambassador said: “During the recent visit of Prince Saud Al-Faisal to Russia, we agreed to coordinate in our oil policies in the future.”

Responding to a question on the lack of interaction with the media, Ozerov said that his office has an open-door policy and is committed to transparency “especially when we deal with the Arab world.”

“Our relations in terms of trade and civilization have been cordial since the arrival of Islam,” he observed.

He added that in the 19th century, Russia had exerted intensive efforts in promoting a culture of civilization and dialogue with the Arab world of which a major outcome was the launch of the Russian-Palestine Association during which 100 Russian schools were established in the Middle East.

“We have a high regard for the Arab world and its civilization. We learn about your culture, language, poetry and literature that have left a lasting impact on our relations.

We also read the Holy Qur’an to try to understand Islam and Muslims. We give due respect to them based on a deep understanding of their culture which is very similar to ours,” he added.

Referring to the Charlie Hebdo issue, he said that under the Russian law, attacking any religion is a crime.

“We have high regard for Islam and other religions and publishing such insulting cartoons is not only prohibited in Russia but also indicates a lack of morality on the part of the perpetrators,” he stressed.

The ambassador also talked about the outcomes of the first inter-Syrian consultative meeting in Moscow which concluded on Jan, 29. It was the first time since the inter-Syrian talks were suspended in 2014 that representatives of the Syrian Arab Republic engaged in direct contact with the Syrian opposition.

Representatives of the opposition and the Syrian government expressed their desire for consultations in the Moscow format to continue while Moscow stands ready to further facilitate inter-Syrian contacts.