Saudi foreign minister plans to discuss Syria, Iran's interference in regional affairs with Lavrov
MOSCOW. May 26 (Interfax) - Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Adel Al Jubeir plans to discuss the situation in Syria and Iran's activity in the region at a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Thursday.
Speaking at the start of a meeting of the Strategic Dialogue between Russia and the Cooperation Council of the Arab States of the Gulf (Gulf Cooperation Council, GCC), Al Jubeir said he expected "to also hold productive consultations and exchange opinions on other regional problems, such as the situation in Syria and Iraq, Iran's interference in the region's affairs, and the situation in Yemen and in other parts of the region".
Saudi Arabia "values and respects Russia's position on settling the problem of Palestine," he said.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in response that, as is seen from common judgments, the format of the Russia-GCC dialogue "has proven to be an efficient mechanism for the exchange of opinions on key regional and global problems and joint work toward expanding economic and humanitarian cooperation between our countries."
"We expect that the Moscow meeting will provide a new major incentive to the strengthening of relations between Russia and the Arab states of the Gulf," he said.