Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov confirmed that President Vladimir Putin is keen on communication and cooperation with the Gulf states. During the sixth ministerial meeting of the strategic dialogue between the Gulf states and Russia, today (Monday), in Moscow, at the level of foreign ministers, Lavrov stressed the need to maintain the positive development of trade between Russia and the Gulf states.
Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi renewed support for the Presidential Leadership Council in Yemen, and work to reach a comprehensive political solution to the Yemeni crisis. He said that external interference in Sudan fuels the conflict, expressing concern about the humanitarian and security repercussions of the crisis in Sudan.
For his part, Secretary General of Gulf Cooperation Jassim Al-Budaiwi stated that the GCC states are keen to enhance all forms of cooperation with Russia, and renewed the GCC states’ adherence to supporting efforts to achieve security and settle disputes. He pointed out that the GCC states support mediation efforts to resolve the Ukrainian crisis politically, and support the extension of the grain export agreement. Al-Budaiwi considered that cooperation with Russia within the OPEC + group was positive for the oil market.
The dialogue aims to strengthen relations between the Arab Gulf states and the Russian Federation, as it will cover many international issues and issues of regional cooperation.
Al-Budaiwi said in a statement (Saturday) that the meeting seeks to strengthen relations between the two sides in a way that serves common interests.
He explained that the meeting will discuss topics on the agenda aimed at increasing joint cooperation on the one hand, and providing an opportunity to exchange views on a number of regional and international files, on the other hand.
He described the Gulf-Russian relations as “distinguished”, pointing out that since the two sides signed the memorandum of understanding for the strategic dialogue in November 2011, and its continuation is an indication of the two sides’ endeavor to move forward to build strong and close relations aimed at serving the common interests of the two sides at all levels and fields.
It is noteworthy that the fifth joint ministerial meeting of the strategic dialogue between the Gulf Cooperation Council and Russia was held in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, in June 2022, in the presence of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
The volume of trade exchange between the GCC countries and Russia reached $7.6 billion in the latest announced statistics for the year 2021, and electrical machinery and plastic are the most important commodities in exports to Russia, while grains, copper and its products are among the most important Russian imports.
