RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s King Salman held a phone call on Monday with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss a number of issues, including OPEC and the coronavirus pandemic. King Salman expressed the Kingdom’s keenness to strengthen bilateral relations with Russia, and said he was satisfied with the increase in trade exchange between the two countries. The king also said Russia plays a “constructive role” in the “OPEC+group to achieve stability and balance the oil market.” During the call, both sides reviewed the work of the G20 countries, which the Kingdom will chair this year, and the unified efforts within their meetings to overcome the effects of the coronavirus pandemic and return to normal life. Putin praised the Kingdom’s efforts during its G20 presidency, expressing his happiness with the development of relations between the two countries and the fruitful cooperation with the Kingdom in the field of energy, referring to the ongoing communication about the new Russian COVID-19 vaccine.