Prospects of Strategic Relations between Russia and Saudi Arabia"

Abstract

Russia's active foreign policy is characterized by its multi-party approach, which necessitates the establishment of close strategic relations with influential regional players. For Russia, forging a partnership with Saudi Arabia is of utmost importance, as Saudi Arabia is a leader in the Gulf Cooperation Council and a significant player alongside Russia in the global oil market. The developments in the region are interconnected with global transformations, and Saudi Arabia's announcement of its socio-economic transformation vision, Saudi Vision 2030, opens up new possibilities for both countries.

Political Dialogue: Current Situation Since the resumption of diplomatic relations between the Soviet/Russian and Saudi Arabian governments in 1991, bilateral cooperation has not been consistently stable. Close ties have been interspersed with periods of deterioration and mutual accusations, particularly during the transitional processes in the Arab world in 2011-2012. While there may be some alignment of positions regarding events in Egypt and Tunisia, Moscow and Riyadh have different perspectives on the situation in Syria, primarily due to their divergent stances on Iran's policies. Furthermore, Riyadh has supported Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, both of which contributed to the downfall of Muammar Gaddafi's regime.