Media reports from Saudi Arabia say Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman has met with the visiting leader of Russia's Chechnya region, Ramzan Kadyrov.
The reports said the talks were held at Mina Palace in Jeddah on August 21, with the crown prince and Kadyrov exchanging regards on the occasion of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha.
Kadyrov has made private visits to Saudi Arabia and several other Middle Eastern countries in recent years, leading commentators to conclude that Russia is using the head of the mostly Muslim-populated North Caucasus region to promote Kremlin interests among the influential leaders of the Arab world.
Kadyrov wrote on the VKontakte social network on August 19 that he arrived in Jeddah at the invitation of Saudi King Salman bin Abd al-Aziz.
Kadyrov also wrote that he was confident his meetings with Saudi officials would "contribute to further strengthening of the traditional friendly ties between Saudi Arabia and Russia, as well as with the subject of the Russian Federation, the Chechen Republic."
