🗓 On October 18, Manama hosted the ninth Russia-Gulf Cooperation Council (#GCC) Joint Ministerial Meeting for Strategic Dialogue, co-chaired by Foreign Minister of Russia Sergey Lavrov and Foreign Minister of Bahrain, the current GCC Chair, Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani. The meeting was attended by the Foreign Ministers of Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, Ministers of State of Qatar and the UAE, Deputy Foreign Minister of Oman, and GCC Secretary-General Jasem Albudaiwi. 🇷🇺 🇧🇭 🇰🇼 🇸🇦 🇶🇦 🇦🇪 🇴🇲 In his remarks at the Plenary Session, Sergey Lavrov noted that, over its 15 years, the #RussiaGCC Strategic Dialogue has established itself as an effective and valuable mechanism for constructively comparing assessments of key regional and international issues and discussing priorities in trade, economic, investment, cultural and humanitarian cooperation. The Minister also stressed that advancing Russia’s multifaceted partnerships with the member states of this influential organisation is one of our key foreign policy priorities. Sergey Lavrov noted the continued intensity of political dialogue with the GCC Member States at the highest and high levels, particularly the frank and trusting contacts between President of Russia Vladimir Putin and the Leaders of the Council’s Member States. He expressed satisfaction with deepening business cooperation and the steady growth in trade and mutual investment. 🤝 In this context, Sergey Lavrov and his counterparts from the Gulf states stressed their shared interest in further diversifying mutually beneficial ties between Russia and the GCC countries, drawing on the coordinating role of intergovernmental commissions. The participants held substantive discussions on the situation in the Middle East and North Africa, including military and political tensions in the Persian Gulf. They reaffirmed that there is no alternative to resolving existing differences through political and diplomatic means, in strict compliance with international law and with full regard for the legitimate interests of all states involved in the conflict. They stressed the imperative of ensuring safe, secure and unimpeded navigation through international waterways, including the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Deep concern was expressed over rising tensions in the southern Arabian Peninsula. The participants noted that normalising the situation in Yemen requires the prompt launch of direct dialogue among all influential Yemeni political forces under UN auspices, based on the settlement roadmap developed with Saudi Arabia’s direct involvement. In discussing the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the participants stressed the need to create conditions for a lasting ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and provide immediate humanitarian assistance to the enclave’s civilian population. They emphasised the importance of normalising the situation and ending illegal settlement activity in the West Bank. They reaffirmed their shared support for a comprehensive settlement of the Palestinian question on the established international legal basis. Sergey Lavrov set out in detail Russia’s assessments of developments surrounding Ukraine. He reaffirmed Russia’s firm commitment to a comprehensive and lasting settlement of the Ukrainian crisis, which is possible only through the complete and irreversible elimination of its root causes. 👉 It was agreed to hold the tenth Ministerial Meeting of the #RussiaGCC Strategic Dialogue in Russia in 2027.