Russia and Saudi foreign ministers to hold talks in Moscow

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will hold talks with his Saudi counterpart Adel al-Jubeir in Moscow on August 29, the Russian Foreign ministry's spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing.

"We consider the upcoming meeting between the two foreign ministers as part of regular and trust-based dialogue with our Saudi partners, which concerns a wide range of issues of mutual interest. There will be a thorough discussion of the relevant aspects of Russia-Saudi relations and the implementation of agreements made during Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud’s visit to Moscow in October 2017," TASS cited her as saying.

"There will also be an exchange of views on the current situation in the Middle East and North Africa, the focus will be on the need to resolve issues facing this strategically important region through political and diplomatic means, including dialogue based on mutual respect, taking in consideration the interests and concerns of all the parties involved," the spokesperson said.

"The meeting’s agenda includes the situations in Syria, Yemen, Libya and the Persian Gulf area, as well as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict," she said, adding that the two foreign ministers would also discuss "the prospects for joint activities in relation to strategic dialogue between Russia and the Persian Gulf states." 

According to Zakharova, much attention will be paid "to trade, which has been growing steadily." "In 2017, trade doubled to $915.2 bln compared to 2016," Zakharova added.