Russian President, Saudi King discuss Syria, economic cooperation, says Kremlin

MOSCOW, November 21. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin and King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud discussed the implementation of agreements that the two sides reached during King Salman's bilateral state visit to Russia, the Kremlin press service said on Tuesday. "The sides stated progress in bilateral cooperation in trade, investment, culture, the humanitarian sphere, and defense-related technologies, and they stressed the importance of further coordination of steps between Russia and Saudi Arabia on the markets of crude oil and natural gas," it said. The report said the sides continued exchange of opinions on the situation in the Middle East. "On the background of successful struggle against terrorist groupings in Syria, the parties discussed the prospects for durable peace settlement of the armed conflict," the press service said. Putin said on his part the Syrian National Dialogue Congress that was to convene in Sochi in a few days’ time would beyond any doubt give an impulse to pan-Syrian contacts and to the entire process of resolution of the Syrian problem and would energize efforts under the UN umbrella in Geneva. Putin and King Salman expressed the hope a conference of some sections of the Syrian opposition in Riyadh on November 22-24. The Russian President also told his interlocutor on Monday’s meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and on the main items on the agenda of the summit of guarantor countries supporting the Syrian peace settlement consultations in Astana - Russia, Iran and Turkey. Read more