British PM Boris Johnson visits Gulf for talks aimed toward shifting away from reliance on Russian oil and gasoline provides amid Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) in Riyadh throughout a visit to the Gulf for talks aimed toward shifting away from reliance on Russian oil and gasoline provides amid Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
The Saudi press company SPA mentioned Saudi vitality minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman additionally attended the assembly on Wednesday, including that Saudi Arabia and the UK signed a memorandum of understanding to ascertain a strategic partnership council.
Johnson is without doubt one of the few Western leaders to go to Riyadh because the 2018 homicide of journalist Jamal Khashoggi within the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.
Earlier on Wednesday, Johnson was within the United Arab Emirates, the place he met with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed (MBZ) and “mentioned alternatives to extend collaboration on vitality safety, defence and commerce”, a press release posted on the British premier’s Twitter account mentioned.
“I’m visiting Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, who're key companions in guaranteeing regional safety and stabilising world vitality markets after Russia’s unprecedented, brutal and unlawful invasion,” Johnson wrote on Twitter.
The UK chief is making an attempt to rein in oil costs, which soared to almost $140 a barrel earlier than dropping beneath $100, and assist finish the West’s dependency on Russian oil following President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
His go to coincides with recent condemnation of Saudi Arabia’s human rights file after 81 folks have been put to loss of life in a mass execution on Saturday. Rights teams questioned whether or not they had obtained honest trials.
“The leaders welcomed the longstanding partnership between our two nations and mentioned alternatives to extend collaboration between the UK and UAE on vitality safety, inexperienced expertise, and commerce,” a Downing Avenue spokesperson mentioned in London.
Earlier than leaving for Riyadh, Johnson promised to lift human rights points with MBS, however he additionally confused the UK’s “crucial relationship” with the oil-rich Gulf.
“It’s not only a query of trying on the OPEC nations and what they'll do to extend provide, although that's necessary,” Johnson informed British media.
“Once we take a look at the dependency the West particularly has constructed up on Putin’s hydrocarbons, on Putin’s oil and gasoline, we will see what a mistake that was as a result of he’s been capable of blackmail the West.”
‘Key worldwide companions’
Johnson’s spokesman mentioned the prime minister would additionally ask MBS to sentence Putin over the assault on Ukraine.
Saudi Arabia and the UAE, that are two of the world’s largest oil exporters, each have ties to Moscow, and have to date averted taking a place in opposition to Russia.
However Johnson mentioned earlier than leaving that the impact of Putin’s “brutal and unprovoked” assault shall be felt far past Europe.
He mentioned as Western sanctions start to chew, a brand new worldwide coalition was wanted to offset their impact on shoppers already feeling the pinch from rising inflation.
“The world should wean itself off Russian hydrocarbons and starve Putin’s habit to grease and gasoline,” he mentioned in a press release.
“Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are key worldwide companions in that effort.”
The UAE and Saudi Arabia are the UK’s two largest financial companions within the area, with bilateral commerce price £12.2bn and £10.4bn respectively in 2020, Johnson’s workplace mentioned.
Russia is the world’s largest producer of gasoline and one of many largest oil producers.
Like the USA, the UK plans to part out Russian oil imports by the top of the 12 months, as a part of wide-ranging sanctions concentrating on Russian companies and billionaires.
US President Joe Biden and MBS don't have any’t spoken since Biden took workplace and pledged to deal with the dominion as a “pariah” state over Khashoggi’s killing, which the CIA blamed on the Saudi royal.
Torbjorn Soltvedt, Center East and North Africa analyst at Verisk Maplecroft, mentioned that “with out this rift, it's unlikely Johnson would now be spearheading oil diplomacy efforts within the Gulf.”
He mentioned the percentages have been “stacked in opposition to Johnson” in altering Saudi oil coverage, however that the UAE “could also be extra prepared to open the faucets” because it desires to capitalise on its oil reserves extra rapidly.
However the UAE on March 10 reaffirmed its dedication to OPEC+ alliance agreements to stay to current output targets by means of April.
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