RIYADH, December 1. /TASS/. Russia expects that its airlines will be able to make direct flights to Saudi Arabia soon, Deputy Prime Minister and co-chairman of the bilateral intergovernmental commission on trade and economic cooperation Alexander Novak said.

"We are pleased to note the restart of the direct air service between our countries. We expect in the near time, apart from Arab companies, Russian airlines will start implementing air transportation," he said.

The countries are close in their positions on the majority of key problems of international and regional agenda, Novak noted.

Trade and economic cooperation is also developing dynamically. "Over the last five years, the bilateral trade volume increased two fold. The Russian Federation was and remains the significant supplier of grain and poultry to the market of Saudi Arabia," the deputy prime minister said.

Over the last ten years, more than 40 joint investment projects totaling over $10 bln were implemented within the framework of the investment program of Russian and Saudi Arabian sovereign funds.