Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on Tuesday that Russia will host a special Russian-Arab summit later this year. The announcement came during Putin's meeting at the Kremlin with the Omani sultan, Haitham bin Tariq Al-Said, the first-ever state visit of the Arab country's sultan to Russia.
Putin noted that Sultan Haitham and his accompanying delegation have been invited to take part in the upcoming event. "We are planning to host a summit between Russia and the Arab countries later this year. Many of our friends in the Arab world have expressed their support for this initiative," he said.
The Russian leader highlighted that 2025 marks the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Russia and Oman. Putin expressed hope that further steps could be taken in the energy sector, noting that Russian companies have shown strong interest in deepening cooperation with Oman. “We share a strong history, and our contacts continue to develop. We have prepared for your visit across all sectors,” Putin said. “Much more remains to be done in the field of trade and economic cooperation, but we now have an opportunity to expand ties in logistics, transportation, mutual investment, and agriculture,” he added.
Sultan Haitham, in turn, expressed his country’s desire to deepen its ties with Russia for the mutual benefit of both nations. “We seek to build privileged and mutually beneficial relations with Russia in the interests of our peoples,” he said. “This morning, we held a meeting with representatives of Russian business, and we are very interested in expanding cooperation, particularly in agriculture and trade. Our investment authority is already actively working with several Russian entities and departments to attract mutual investment," he said.
The Sultan's visit comes days after Putin hosted Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani in Moscow for talks on Syria and Gaza. Doha is a key mediator between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas.
The Gulf states are gaining growing diplomatic influence as mediators in negotiations to resolve the world's most pressing crises, which have claimed thousands of lives, such as the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza.
Oman recently hosted talks between the United States and Iran, the highest-level meeting between the two sides since Donald Trump abandoned a landmark nuclear deal in 2018 during his first term as US president.
Russia and Ukraine held indirect talks mediated by the United States and Saudi Arabia in the Saudi capital Riyadh in March.
