Lavrov arrives in Riyadh to attend Russia-GCC ministerial summit

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
8 Sep 2024 23:18

The head of the GCC says that these meetings aim to "strengthen strategic relations with countries and organizations worldwide."

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Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (L) and his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan arrive to attend the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) meeting in Riyadh, on June 1, 2022 (AFP)

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived on Sunday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Russian news agency Sputnik reported.

Lavrov is in the Saudi capital to participate in a ministerial meeting of the Russia-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) dialogue, where he is expected to hold several bilateral meetings with regional officials aimed at strengthening cooperation and discussing key regional and international issues.

This meeting follows the previous Russia-GCC gathering held in Moscow in July 2023.

"The 161st Ministerial Council meeting of the Cooperation Council will be held on Monday (September 9, 2024) at the headquarters of the General Secretariat in Riyadh," said the Secretary General of the GCC Jasem Mohamed al-Budaiwi in a statement on Sunday.

"On the sidelines of the meeting, the seventh joint ministerial meeting for the strategic dialogue between the GCC and the Russian Federation will take place, in the attendance of" Foreign Minister Lavrov, the statement continued.

"These meetings aim to strengthen strategic relations with countries and organizations worldwide. Several topics will be discussed in various fields that serve the common interests of both sides and yield benefits for their peoples."

The Gulf Cooperation Council comprises six member states: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

US' desire for hegemony

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova warned last week that the current situation and rising tensions in the Middle East stem from the United States' desire to maintain its dominant regional influence.

The diplomat criticized Washington's desire to "monopolize the mediation role" amid "Israel's" ongoing war on Gaza, highlighting its concern about preserving the status quo and promoting "economic peace" in the region.

Similarly, last February, Lavrov warned that the United States is "pushing Palestine, Israel, and the entire Middle East into a catastrophe."

At the 13th annual Middle East Conference of the Valdai Discussion Club in Moscow, the foreign minister said that the US plans on marginalizing Russia from international efforts for a Middle East crisis settlement because it is working on its own plans in the region.