RIYADH: Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan participated in a ministerial meeting between the Gulf Cooperation Council countries and Russia on Monday in the Russian capital, Moscow.
During the meeting, GCC-Russia relations were reviewed along with ways to build upon them in various fields. The meeting addressed developments in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict and international efforts aimed at resolving it.
The officials discussed intensifying coordination on a number of regional and international issues, also addressing economic cooperation and international sustainable development goals.
The meeting was attended by Saudi Ambassador to Russia Abdulrahman Al-Ahmad and Abdulrahman Al-Dawood, director-general of the foreign minister’s office.
Jasem Al-Budaiwi, GCC secretary-general, praised the “distinguished” relations between the GCC and Russia, highlighting the signing of a memorandum of understanding in November 2011, reflecting their mutual desire to strengthen ties and foster strategic dialogue.
On Nov. 1, 2011, the first ministerial meeting between the GCC and Russia was held in Abu Dhabi. The meeting led to the signing of an MoU, aiming to enhance economic and cultural cooperation, as well as political dialogue.
Meanwhile, Prince Faisal held talks with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the recent ministerial meeting. They reviewed historical relations and strategic cooperation, discussing ways to develop ties and consolidate bilateral and multilateral efforts on numerous files of common interest.
