PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF RUSSIA VLADIMIR PUTIN ARRIVED IN RIYADH TONIGHT ON A TWO-DAY STATE VISIT TO THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA. AT KING KHALID INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, HE WAS RECEIVED BY THE CUSTODIAN OF THE TWO HOLY MOSQUES KING ABDULLAH BIN ABDULAZIZ WHO GREETED THE PRESIDENT AND MEMBERS OF THE ACCOMPANYING DELEGATION. ALSO RECEIVING THE RUSSIAN PRESIDENT WERE CROWN PRINCE SULTAN BIN ABDULAZIZ, DEPUTY PREMIER, MINISTER OF DEFENSE AND AVIATION AND INSPECTOR GENERAL; PRINCE SALMAN BIN ABDULAZIZ, GOVERNOR OF RIYADH REGION; PRINCE DR. ABDULAZIZ BIN MOHAMMED BIN AYYAF AL MIQREN, MAJOR OF RIYADH REGION; SENIOR PROTOCOL OFFICIALS; SAUDI CHARGE D'AFFAIRES TO RUSSIA GHAZI ASAAD SHIRBEENI; AND RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR TO THE KINGDOM VICTOR KODER YEVTSIV. PUTIN AND HIS DELEGATION RECEIVED WARM RED-CARPET WELCOME. PUTIN WAS ALSO RECEIVED BY PRINCE ABDULRAHMAN BIN ABDULAZIZ, DEPUTY MINISTER OF DEFENSE AND AVIATION AND INSPECTOR GENERAL; PRINCE MIT'EB BIN ABDULAZIZ, MINISTER OF MUNICIPAL AND RURAL AFFAIRS; PRINCE SAUD AL-FAISAL, MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS; PRINCE MIQREN BIN ABDULAZIZ, CHIEF OF GENERAL INTELLIGENCE; PRINCE BANDAR BIN SULTAN BIN ABDULAZIZ, SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL; PRINCE MOHAMMED BIN NAIF BIN ABDULAZIZ, ASSISTANT MINISTER OF INTERIOR FOR SECURITY AFFAIRS; PRINCE ABDULAZIZ BIN ABDULLAH BIN ABDULAZIZ, ADVISOR TO THE KING; MINISTERS, SENIOR CIVIL AND MILITARY OFFICIALS AND STAFF MEMBERS OF THE RUSSIAN EMBASSY IN RIYADH. FOLLOWING A BRIEF REST AT THE AIRPORT, THE KING ACCOMPANIED THE RUSSIAN PRESIDENT TO THE GUEST RESIDENCE. PUTIN WAS ACCOMPANIED BY A HIGH-LEVEL DELEGATION.
