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Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov today expressed hope that US President Joe Biden's visit to Saudi Arabia would not be used to encourage anti-Russian relations.
Peskov also said that Russia highly values cooperation with Saudi Arabia within the framework of the OPEC+ alliance, which includes the world's leading oil producers.
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Monday that Biden would try to persuade OPEC countries to increase oil production in order to lower gasoline prices during his meeting with Gulf leaders in Saudi Arabia this week.
Peskov also said that Russia, the world's second largest oil exporter after Saudi Arabia and the world's largest gas exporter, highly values cooperation with Saudi Arabia within the framework of the OPEC+ alliance, which includes the world's leading oil producers.
"We are within the framework of the OPEC+ agreements and we highly appreciate the work we are trying to carry out with our partners, including leading partners such as Saudi Arabia," Peskov said in a conference call with reporters. "We hold our relations and communication with Riyadh in high esteem and we certainly hope that building relations and developing relations between Riyadh and other capitals of the world will in no way be directed against us."
"Unresolved" issue with the ban on transporting goods to Kaliningrad via Lithuania
Elsewhere in his remarks, Peskov said Moscow expects progress on a possible European agreement to allow Russia to transport certain sanctioned goods to the Kaliningrad enclave via the EU, but that the problem has not been resolved.
Lithuania in June banned Russia from sending some products, such as ferrous metals, subject to EU sanctions through its territory, a move that sparked anger in Moscow and promises of retaliation.
Despite Russian warnings of retaliation, Vilnius on Monday expanded the list of products covered by the ban to include cement, timber and alcohol.
"There is no finalization of the situation yet. We expect some progress but we cannot say that the problem is gone," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said today, responding to reports that an agreement between the EU and Russia may be close to allowing some shipments.
The governor of the Kaliningrad region said up to half of the goods shipped between the Russian mainland and the enclave would be affected by the ban. The railway management company in Lithuania estimates that about 15% of cargo by volume will be affected.
Source: APB
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