Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud discussed bilateral relations in a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday.
The two leaders exchanged views on a number of issues of common concern, Saudi Press Agency reported.
The phone call assumes significance in the light of growing relations between Saudi Arabia and China, which recently brokered the rapprochement between the oil-rich kingdom and Iran.
Russia is the closest ally of China.Â
In March, Saudi Arabia has agreed to join the Shanghai Cooperation Organization as a “dialogue partner”.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization was established in 2001 as a political, economic and security organization to rival Western institutions.
Besides China, its eight members include India, Pakistan and Russia, as well as four central Asian countries — Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.
Earlier, Saudi Crown Prince and Russian President spoke by phone in September 2022 to express their satisfaction over a prisoner-of-war swap between Moscow and Kyiv facilitated by Riyadh.Â