Jeddah, Asharq Al-Awsat—Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman arrived in Russia on Wednesday on an official visit, according to a statement by the Royal Court.

The visit comes at the behest of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman Bin Abdulaziz following an invitation from Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, whom Prince Mohammed, also the Kingdom’s Defense Minister and Second Deputy Prime Minister, will meet on the visit.

In addition to strengthening bilateral ties, the visit will also witness the signing of a number of agreements between both countries.

Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Moscow Abdulrahman Al-Rasi said the visit was extremely important at this time, given current turbulent global events and the joint interests which Moscow and Riyadh share.

“The visit is extremely important and will make clear a number of future prospects, and [explore] joint efforts to boost strategic relations which are based on a firm foundation and mutual respect, [aiming] to produce a paradigm shift and commence a new era in relations between the two countries, who share fruitful cooperation in a number of different areas and a historic relationship,” Rasi said, speaking to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).

Relations between the two countries began in 1926 when the then-Soviet Union became one of the first foreign countries to recognize Saudi Arabia as a sovereign state.