🎙 Opening remarks by Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at the ninth Russia-Gulf Cooperation Council (#GCC) Joint Ministerial Meeting for Strategic Dialogue (Manama, October 18, 2026) 💬 Sergey Lavrov: First of all, I would like to congratulate you on the 45th anniversary of the establishment of the GCC, which we mark in 2026. Strengthening multifaceted, mutually beneficial ties with the GCC member states is among the priorities of Russia’s foreign policy and diplomacy. The Strategic Dialogue with the Arab states of the Gulf was established almost 15 years ago in Abu Dhabi. Year after year, it has demonstrated its continued relevance and effectiveness, enabling frank and constructive exchanges on the most delicate global and regional issues and helping us map out further practical steps to expand trade, economic, cultural and humanitarian ties between our countries. ☝️ The importance of such direct engagement can hardly be overstated amid a rapidly changing geopolitical landscape. Russia and all GCC Member States maintain regular, active contacts at the highest level, giving powerful impetus to the comprehensive development of our relations. We have established close foreign policy coordination. I value the frank and trusting personal dialogue I enjoy with each of you, dear friends. I warmly recall our productive discussion during the previous, eighth round of the Strategic Dialogue in Sochi in September 2025. 📈 In 2025, Russia’s total trade with the GCC Member States grew by 45%. Since 2021, almost every country in the Council has been a guest of honour at one of Russia’s major annual events, the St Petersburg International Economic Forum. We welcome this tradition and would like to see it continue. The effectiveness of our economic cooperation depends to a considerable extent on regional stability. I look forward to discussing the Middle East’s most pressing problems in detail today, above all the situation in and around the Gulf. The region remains gripped by a serious military and political crisis that erupted following the unprovoked US and Israeli aggression against Iran, triggering a chain reaction across many other flashpoints in the Middle East. ❗️ Russia supports efforts to promote peace, including those undertaken by the countries represented here, aimed at preventing a return to full-scale war in the region. We see our updated Concept of Collective Security in the Persian Gulf as our contribution to these efforts. You are familiar with it. Earlier versions of this document have been discussed for decades with representatives of political, academic and expert circles in the GCC countries. We believe that the Gulf’s littoral states themselves must have the decisive say in determining how to ensure the secure development of this entire, vitally important region. Our Concept is aimed precisely at creating conditions for direct dialogue among the Gulf’s littoral states and their neighbours, such as Iraq and Jordan. 🤝 Let me stress that we sincerely cherish our friendly relations with all GCC members and remain firmly committed to steadily advancing our Strategic Dialogue for the benefit of our countries and peoples. Read in full