Saudi Crown Prince Invited to BRICS Summit in Russia

Russia has invited Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to attend the upcoming BRICS summit in Kazan in October. The move comes amid a broader effort to bring new members, including Saudi Arabia, into the bloc. The kingdom is still considering the invitation, weighing geopolitical tensions and its relations with major trading partners China and India.

Russia has officially extended an invitation to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the BRICS summit in Kazan this October, announced Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Monday.

BRICS, a bloc of developing nations, had last year invited Saudi Arabia, Iran, Ethiopia, Egypt, Argentina, and the UAE to join its ranks, aiming to revamp what it views as an outdated global order. This invitation comes as Lavrov is visiting Saudi Arabia.

Sources indicated that Saudi Arabia is still mulling over the invitation, noting significant advantages, particularly its burgeoning trade with China and India, which are BRICS members. However, geopolitical tensions between the US, China, and Russia complicate this decision, especially as Saudi-US relations have experienced strains despite close cooperation through OPEC+ with Russia.

(With inputs from agencies.)