Putin Invites Arab League Leaders for First Russia-Arab Summit in October

Russian President Vladimir Putin has invited all leaders and the General Secretary of the Arab League to attend the first Russia-Arab Summit, scheduled to take place on October 15th, as reported by Russian news agencies citing a Kremlin announcement. “I am convinced that this meeting will contribute to further strengthening mutually beneficial, multilateral cooperation between our countries and will help find ways to ensure peace, security, and stability in the Middle East and North Africa,” stated Putin according to the Interfax agency. The Arab League, a regional organization of Arab states in the Middle East and parts of Africa, includes 22 member countries committed to cooperating on political, economic, and military issues within the region. These developments come after U.S. President Donald Trump’s four-day visit to the Gulf region this week, during which Washington announced securing several agreements, including a $600 billion commitment from Saudi Arabia for investments in the U.S., an arms package worth nearly $142 billion sold to the kingdom, and an agreement on artificial intelligence with the United Arab Emirates.