Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday discussed cooperation on oil and the conflict in Syria with powerful Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at a meeting in the Kremlin. Oil producers within and outside the Opec cartel last week agreed to extend a November accord to cut crude production by nine months in a move spearheaded by Moscow and Riyadh.
"We are grateful to you for your ideas and joint work on the combined steps by Opec members and non-members," Putin told 31-year-old Prince Mohammed, who is the country's defence minister, the Interfax news agency reported. "The actions we agreed are helping to stabilise the situation on the world hydrocarbon markets."
The world's two biggest producers have worked together to bolster faltering oil prices despite deep differences over the conflict in Syria and Moscow's warm ties with Saudi Arabia's regional foe Iran. Putin told Prince Mohammed that Moscow and Riyadh "together were working on the issues of resolving difficult situations, including in Syria."
Prince Mohammed's meeting with Putin comes shortly after US President Donald Trump visited Riyadh as part of his first overseas trip. Putin again reiterated an invitation for Saudi monarch King Salman to visit Russia and insisted it would be a "good sign and a good signal."