On behalf of Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Minister of Defense, the Chief of General Staff of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Lt. General Fayyad bin Hamed Al-Ruwaili, took part in the 9th Moscow Conference on International Security (MCIS) on Wednesday, organized by the Russian Ministry of Defense.
General Al-Ruwaili stressed the need for international cooperation to combat terrorism and secure health security to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, praising the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's leading role in dealing with the pandemic at the local and global levels, in addition to its role in combating terrorism and its financing regionally and internationally for the security and stability of the region.
Later, the Saudi Chief of Staff met with his Russian counterpart Valery Gerasimov, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
During the meeting, they discussed the bilateral relations especially in the military and defense aspects, as well as the latest developments on the regional and international arenas. The meeting was attended by senior officers of both sides.
The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation held the IX Moscow Conference on International Security on 22-24 June, 2021, where the most urgent problems and trends in the field of international military policy are traditionally discussed.
During the conference all necessary anti-epidemiological measures were taken. The forum traditionally brings together Defense Ministers, Heads of International organizations, nongovernment experts and world’s think-tank representatives.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has made significant changes in the system of international contacts, intensified a number of former contradictions. We are witnessing how a new world order and forms of interaction in the field of security are being formed,” said General of the Army Sergey Shoygu, Minister of the Defense of the Russian Federation.
“Last year, due to the pandemic, the dialogue between heads of defense agencies and subject matter experts was actually hampered. Many international events, including the Moscow forum, were cancelled.
In 2021, there are positive trends in overcoming new coronavirus infection. Vaccination of the population and the experience of medical personnel will allow us to expand contacts between countries and continents and provide an opportunity for direct dialogue,” Shoygu added.
