“In the absence of diplomatic relations between Armenia and Saudi Arabia since Armenia's independence, when no official from Armenia had ever visited that country, the President of Armenia took a historic step, visiting for the first time a country with a unique role and significance in the Arab and Islamic world,” Sarkissian’s press office said in a late-night statement.
It emphasized the fact that Sarkissian was greeted at Riyadh airport “at the highest state level” by Saudi Arabia’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel al-Jubeir.
“According to the official protocol, the state flag of the Republic of Armenia was hoisted at the airport,” added the statement.
Sarkissian sat next to Crown Prince Mohammed at the opening ceremony of the Future Investment Initiative forum held later in the day and also attended by other foreign leaders. The presidential press office reported on Wednesday that the two men talked to each other during the event.
“The President of Armenia and the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia talked about the need to develop relations between the two countries and their future,” it said. “It was noted that the rich historical ties between the two peoples are a good basis for building future interstate relations.”
It was not clear whether the president, who has largely ceremonial powers, discussed with Crown Prince Mohammed or other Saudi officials the possibility of establishing diplomatic relations between the two states.
Like Turkey and Pakistan, Saudi Arabia has for decades refused to establish such relations ties due to Christian Armenia’s conflict with Muslim Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh.
The unresolved conflict has not prevented Armenia from developing ties with other Gulf Arab monarchies, notably the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait. Both nations have embassies in Yerevan. Also, successive Armenian governments have maintained close links with Iran, Saudi Arabia’s main regional rival.
The oil-rich kingdom’s relations with Turkey deteriorated significantly several years ago and remain strained. The Saudi crown prince held talks in Riyadh on Tuesday with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis of Greece, another country at odds with Ankara.