Riyadh
Saudi Arabia, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud (MBS) is working to project the country as a middle power and address the ongoing war in Ukraine. The meeting held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on August 5-6, saw almost all major countries of the Global South, including the US, India, and China, participating.
The leaders of these countries supported and criticized Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, with China participating for the first time. China has increased its purchase of oil and gas from Russia to a record level, making it seen as a major diplomatic victory for Saudi Arabia.
As countries in the Middle East are nervous about United States’s withdrawal from their region, Saudi Arabia is working on diversifying its allies, including China as Saudi Arabia’s largest trading partner. This has helped improve Saudi Arabia’s relations with Iran. Analyst Dania Kolilat Khatib, head of the Research Center for Cooperation and Peace Building in Beirut, said that countries in the Middle East are nervous about America’s withdrawal from their region
The United States wants to strengthen its relations with Saudi Arabia, for which it is making diplomatic efforts. He has also been successful in doing so and has strengthened his relations with China and Russia. He is trying to establish good relations with Iran and Turkey. On the other hand, America is also promoting Saudi Arabia, saying that we will help you achieve a major global role.
Russia did not take part in the meeting, but it was said by the Russian Presidential Palace that Russia is keeping a close watch on the meeting. At the same time, the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who attended the meeting, said after the meeting that there were differences between the countries and urged the restoration of the rules-based international order.
The peace talks, a European official told the news agency Reuters that the talks have been positive and “it has been agreed that respect for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine should be the first condition of any peace agreement”. Saudi officials say that this meeting shows how strong Saudi Arabia’s relations are with Ukraine, China, and Russia.
In addition to diversifying its economy and attracting foreign investment, Saudi Arabia is also working to establish itself as a soft power by bridging the differences that other countries only dream about. This includes incorporating Syria back into the Arab League and restoring diplomatic relations with its arch-rival Iran.
Saudi Arabia is moving away from the US bloc and supporting a multipolar world under the leadership of Prince Salman, who is moving closer to China and Russia to increase its global influence. Like Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin is also a supporter of increasing his closeness with Saudi Arabia.
