Russian president, Iraqi premier discuss situation in Middle East

Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' Al Sudani on Wednesday about the current situation in the Middle East, where Israel's forces have been targeting Palestinians in Gaza for over 13 months in a genocidal war.

The two leaders described the current situation as "the unprecedented escalation of tensions in the region," according to a readout of their phone conversation released by the Kremlin.

Putin and Al Sudani also discussed current aspects of their bilateral relations, such as trade, economics, transportation, logistics, and humanitarian cooperation.

"The parties (leaders) paid special attention to the implementation of major energy projects and expressed their mutual commitment to further expanding traditionally friendly and mutually beneficial ties in line with the agreements reached during their Moscow talks in October 2023," the statement read.

Putin and Al Sudani also touched upon various aspects of coordination as members of OPEC Plus, a format that contributes to global oil market stability, and reaffirmed the importance of continuing to coordinate steps in this format, it said.

Both leaders agreed to further contacts at various levels, it noted.