Arab News, Monday, Feb 27, 2023 | Sha'ban 07, 1444
Saudi Arabia, Ukraine sign $400m deals in Kyiv for aid
Saudi Arabia:
Saudi Arabia and Ukraine have signed an agreement
and a memorandum of understanding worth $400 million of aid to the European
country.
It is an implementation of the pledge made by
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during his phone call with Ukrainian President
Volodymyr Zelensky in October 2022 on providing an additional humanitarian aid
package to Ukraine.
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan,
and Andriy Yermak, head of the office of the president of Ukraine, attended the
signing ceremony.
The agreement includes a joint cooperation program
to provide humanitarian assistance to Ukraine worth $100 million.
It was co-signed by Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, adviser
to the Royal Court and supervisor general of King Salman Humanitarian Aid and
Relief Center, and Oleksandr Kubrakov, deputy prime minister of Ukraine.
The memorandum includes the financing of oil
derivatives worth $300 million as a grant submitted by the government of Saudi
Arabia through the Saudi Fund for Development. The agreement was signed by SFD
CEO Sultan bin Abdulrahman Al-Marshad, and Ukraine’s Energy Minister German
Galushchenko.
The Saudi Press Agency said the signing of the
agreement and the memorandum reflected the Kingdom’s support of Ukraine in the
face of social and economic challenges.
Ukraine’s president received Prince Faisal in Kyiv
on Sunday.
Prince Faisal said the Kingdom was working with
Ukraine to mitigate the economic effects of the conflict in the country.
He added that he was discussing opportunities for
continued investment cooperation with Ukraine.
The Kingdom will continue its efforts to
contribute to alleviating the human impact of the conflict, the minister said.
The two parties also discussed several regional
and international issues, and developments of common concern.
The Saudi foreign minister said: “We continue to
discuss opportunities to settle the crisis with all parties.”
The prime minister and crown prince also made a
phone call to Zelensky on Friday.
He expressed the Kingdom’s readiness to continue
efforts at mediation, and its support of measures that contributed to
de-escalation, the SPA said.