Saudi Arabian Defense Min Prince Mohammad bin Salman will visit Russia this week.

Saudi Arabian Defense Min Prince Mohammad bin Salman will visit Russia this week. (RBTH).

Saudi Arabia’s defense minister is likely to meet Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. The energy giants look to revive bilateral ties that have been sagging since they began supporting opposing sides in the Syrian conflict.

Saudi Arabian Defense Minister Prince Mohammad bin Salman will visit Russia this week, sources told Kommersant. The visit should help unblock relations between the two countries, which have been frozen because of their opposing positions on Syria. Sources say that preparations are on for a meeting between the prince and Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.

Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al Jubeir will most likely join Prince Mohammed at a Russia-Saudi Arabia business meeting held within the framework of the St Petersburg forum.
 
Prince Mohammed and the Saudi delegation's visit had been shrouded in silence until the very last moment, with officials in Moscow refusing to comment on any speculation. Meanwhile, foreign journalists accredited in Moscow went to St. Petersburg in advance to report on the Saudi delegation's visit, which promises to be one of the forum's main talking points.

Moscow has been one of the main backers of the ruling regime in Damascus, while Riyadh has been trying to topple Bashar Al-Assad. “This led to the freezing of relations. However, today, it seems, the ice has been broken,” Dudarev says.

Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the officials accompanying him are not the only delegates from Riyadh visiting Russia this week. Saudi military officials participated in the Army 2015 International Military Technical Forum that is taking place in Kubinka. Citing a source in the Saudi delegation, TASS wrote that the Saudi military wishes to discuss the purchase of the Russian Iskander-E tactical ballistic missile systems. Hmmm.....And then of course there's 'Money...money...money'. Read the full story here.