RIYADH, FEB 11, SPA -- SAUDI-RUSSIAN RELATIONS DATES BACK TO 1926 WHEN THE SOVIET UNION ANNOUNCED ITS RECOGNITION OF THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA. THE SOVIET UNION WAS THE FIRST COUNTRY TO ANNOUNCE RECOGNITION OF THE KINGDOM. IN 1930 THE RUSSIAN CONSULATE IN JEDDAH WAS TURNED INTO AN EMBASSY, BUT IN 1938 THE SOVIET AMBASSADOR IN JEDDAH WAS RECALLED. IN 1990, THE SAUDI-RUSSIAN DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WERE RESTORED. IN 1932, THE LATE KING FAISAL VISITED THE SOVIET UNION, AND IN 2003 THE CUSTODIAN OF THE TWO HOLY MOSQUES KING ABDULLAH BIN ABDULAZIZ, WHEN HE WAS THE CROWN PRINCE, PAID A VISIT TO MOSCOW. DURING THE VISIT OF KING ABDULLAH A COOPERATION AGREEMENT IN THE FIELD OF OIL WAS SIGNED BETWEEN THE KINGDOM AND RUSSIA. THE VISIT OF PRINCE SALMAN BIN ABDULAZIZ, THE GOVERNOR OF RIYADH REGION, TO MOSCOW HAS POSITIVELY CONTRIBUTED TO FURTHER ENHANCING SAUDI-RUSSIAN RELATIONS. THE SAUDI-RUSSIAN TIES ARE NOT CONFINED TO ECONOMIC AND TRADE RELATIONS, BUT THEY ALSO INCLUDE CULTURAL AND SPORTS RELATIONS. IN 1995 PRINCE NAIF BIN ABDULAZIZ CHAIR FOR ISLAMIC STUDIES WAS OPENED AT MOSCOW UNIVERSITY, AND IN 2001 THE SAUDI AMBASSADOR TO RUSSIA OPENED THE SAUDI PAVILION AT MOSCOW INTERNATIONAL BOOK FAIR. IN 2002 THE RUSSIAN HUMANITARIAN AND SOCIAL ACADEMY HOSTED THE SAUDI CULTURE DAY. IN 2002, THE RUSSIAN FINANCIAL ACADEMY HOSTED A SEMINAR ON THE SAUDI-RUSSIAN RELATIONS ON "THE PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE." THE SEMINAR WAS ORGANIZED BY RIYADH-BASED KING FAISAL RESEARCH AND ISLAMIC STUDIES CENTER IN COOPERATION WITH MOSCOW-BASED INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR STRATEGIC AND POLITICAL STUDIES ON THE OCCASION OF THE 70TH ANNIVERSARY FOR THE VISIT OF LATE KING FAISAL TO RUSSIA. IN 2003, THE SAUDI CULTURAL DAY WAS INAUGURATED IN MOSCOW. THE SAUDI ACADEMY IN MOSCOW, ESTABLISHED IN 1992, HAS BEEN PLAYING A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN SPREADING ISLAMIC AND ARABIC EDUCATION AND CULTURE AMONG THE ARABS AND RUSSIAN. IN THE LIGHT OF THE EXISTING SAUDI-RUSSIAN COOPERATION IN THE FIELD OF SPACE, THE KINGDOM WAS ABLE TO LAUNCH A NUMBER OF SATELLITES INTO SPACE. IN 2003, THE AGREEMENT OF INFORMATION COOPERATION WAS SIGNED BETWEEN THE SAUDI PRESS AGENCY (SPA) AND THE RUSSIAN NEWS AGENCY, ITAR-TASS. IN THE SPORTS SPHERE, A PROGRAM FOR SPORTS COOPERATION WAS SIGNED BY THE GENERAL PRESIDENCY FOR YOUTH WELFARE AND THE FEDERAL AGENCY FOR EDUCATION AND SPORTS IN RUSSIA WAS SIGNED DURING THE VISIT OF PRINCE NAWAF BIN FAISAL BIN FAHD BIN ABDULAZIZ, THE VICE-PRESIDENT OF YOUTH WELFARE, TO RUSSIA IN MAY 2006. DURING THE CURRENT VISIT OF PUTIN TO THE KINGDOM, A NUMBER OF AGREEMENTS ARE EXPECTED TO BE SIGNED.--SPA www.spa.gov.sa/424627