Ukraine, Saudi Arabia to Deepen Cooperation

Ukraine and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have agreed to deepen cooperation in the investment and energy sectors. The parties also discussed Saudi Arabia’s involvement in the ‘grain initiative’, support for the Ukrainian Peace Formula and counteracting Russia’s attacks by Iranian drones.

The relevant statement was made by Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak during a joint briefing with Ukrainian Foreign Affairs Minister Dmytro Kuleba and Saudi Arabian Foreign Affairs Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud in Kyiv on Feb. 26.

Yermak thanked the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for voting in favor of the UN General Assembly’s Resolution, which was endorsed on the occasion of the one-year anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 23, 2023. In his words, this step shows Saudi Arabia’s support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, as well as the Peace Formula offered by the President of Ukraine.

According to Yermak, Ukraine is planning to cooperate with Saudi Arabia as part of the Grain from Ukraine humanitarian initiative.

During the meeting, the parties also discussed the use of Iranian drones by Russia in order to launch attacks on Ukraine’s territory, as Saudi Arabia faced a similar problem back in 2019.

Yermak thanked the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for his visit and assistance, namely for the allocation of $400 million in humanitarian aid and corresponding efforts to release 10 foreign prisoners of war on Sep. 21, 2022.

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“This dialogue and this meeting are very important to us. We have also discussed that the global community’s challenges can only be resolved together on the basis of respect for international law, for the UN Charter – here we are fully on the same page, and this was indicated by voting at the UN General Assembly. We look forward to strengthening our relations,” Yermak noted.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has announced the allocation of $400 million in humanitarian aid to Ukraine.