MOSCOW, July 4. /TASS/. Moscow welcomes Saudi Arabia’s decision to be a guest country at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) in 2026, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said while opening talks with his Saudi counterpart Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud in Moscow.

"I would like to express our deep appreciation for Riyadh’s decision to accept our invitation to join the 29th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum as a guest country and key participant next year," Lavrov said. "It is especially symbolic that this landmark event will take place in the same year we celebrate the 100th anniversary of diplomatic relations between our nations. I am confident that together with our Saudi friends, we will plan special commemorative events to honor this historic milestone," the minister said.

Russia’s top diplomat also praised Saudi Arabia’s highly successful participation in SPIEF 2025. "A delegation led by Energy Minister and co-chair of our bilateral intergovernmental commission, [Prince] Abdulaziz bin Salman Al Saud, attended the event. Together with the Russian co-chair, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, they held a very productive discussion on the sidelines of the forum," the foreign minister emphasized.

Lavrov also thanked Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud for making the visit despite his demanding schedule and the "extremely challenging situation in the region." "I deeply value the opportunity to maintain our personal relationship on a regular basis," the Russian top diplomat added.

Earlier, Russian presidential advisor Anton Kobyakov announced that Saudi Arabia would serve as the guest country at SPIEF in 2026. In 2025, this honor was held by the Kingdom of Bahrain.