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Agencies
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) in Riyadh during a trip to the Gulf for talks aimed at moving away from reliance on Russian oil and gas supplies amid Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
The Saudi press agency SPA said Saudi energy minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman also attended the meeting on Wednesday, adding that Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom signed a memorandum of understanding to establish a strategic partnership council.
Johnson is one of the few Western leaders to visit Riyadh since the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.
Earlier on Wednesday, Johnson was in the UAE, where he met with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed and “discussed opportunities to increase collaboration on energy security, defence and trade”, a statement posted on the British premier’s Twitter account said.
“I’m visiting Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, who are key partners in ensuring regional security and stabilising global energy markets after Russia’s unprecedented, brutal and illegal invasion,” Johnson wrote on Twitter.
The UK leader is attempting to rein in oil prices, which soared to nearly $140 a barrel before dropping below $100, and help end the West’s dependency on Russian oil following President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
His visit coincides with fresh condemnation of Saudi Arabia’s human rights record after 81 people were put to death in a mass execution on Saturday. Rights groups questioned whether they had received fair trials.
“The leaders welcomed the longstanding partnership between our two countries and discussed opportunities to increase collaboration between the UK and UAE on energy security, green technology, and trade,” a Downing Street spokesperson said in London.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) in Riyadh during a trip to the Gulf for talks aimed at moving away from reliance on Russian oil and gas supplies amid Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
The Saudi press agency SPA said Saudi energy minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman also attended the meeting on Wednesday, adding that Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom signed a memorandum of understanding to establish a strategic partnership council.
Johnson is one of the few Western leaders to visit Riyadh since the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.
Earlier on Wednesday, Johnson was in the UAE, where he met with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed and “discussed opportunities to increase collaboration on energy security, defence and trade”, a statement posted on the British premier’s Twitter account said.
“I’m visiting Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, who are key partners in ensuring regional security and stabilising global energy markets after Russia’s unprecedented, brutal and illegal invasion,” Johnson wrote on Twitter.
The UK leader is attempting to rein in oil prices, which soared to nearly $140 a barrel before dropping below $100, and help end the West’s dependency on Russian oil following President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
His visit coincides with fresh condemnation of Saudi Arabia’s human rights record after 81 people were put to death in a mass execution on Saturday. Rights groups questioned whether they had received fair trials.
“The leaders welcomed the longstanding partnership between our two countries and discussed opportunities to increase collaboration between the UK and UAE on energy security, green technology, and trade,” a Downing Street spokesperson said in London.
