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20:22 19.10.2026 •
The 9th Russia-GCC Joint Ministerial Meeting for Strategic Dialogue
Photo: MFA
On October 18, 2026, the 9th Russia-GCC Joint Ministerial Meeting for Strategic Dialogue was held in Manama, co-chaired by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, whose country holds the GCC chairmanship, Russian MFA informs.
The meeting was attended by Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Kuwait Jarrah Al Sabah, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar Sultan Al Muraikhi, Minister of State of the United Arab Emirates Khalifa Al Marar, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Sultanate of Oman Abdulaziz Al Hinai, and GCC Secretary-General Jasem Al Budaiwi.
In his address to the plenary session, Sergey Lavrov noted that, over its 15 years of existence, the Russia – GCC Strategic Dialogue has established itself as an effective and highly valued mechanism for constructively exchanging views on key regional and international issues and for discussing priority areas of trade, economic, investment, cultural and humanitarian cooperation. He stressed that advancing Russia’s multifaceted partnership with the member states of this influential organisation is one of Russia’s main foreign policy priorities. He noted that political dialogue with the GCC states continues at a sustained pace at the highest and high levels, above all through contacts based on mutual trust between President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin and the leaders of the organisation’s member states. He expressed satisfaction with the deepening of business cooperation and the steady growth in trade and mutual investment.
In this context, Sergey Lavrov and his counterparts from the Arabian Peninsula stressed their shared interest in further diversifying mutually beneficial ties between Russia and the states of the Cooperation Council, drawing on the coordinating role of the intergovernmental commissions.
The sides had a substantive discussion on the situation in the Middle East and North Africa, including the military and political tensions in the Persian Gulf region. The participants reaffirmed that there is no alternative to settling existing differences through political and diplomatic means, with unconditional observance of the norms of international law and full consideration of the legitimate interests of all states involved in the conflict. They underscored the imperative of ensuring stable, safe and unimpeded navigation through international waterways, including the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
Deep concern was expressed over the growing tensions in the south of the Arabian Peninsula. It was noted that the path to normalising the situation in Yemen lies in launching a direct dialogue as soon as possible among all influential Yemeni political forces under UN auspices, on the basis of the settlement road map drawn up with the direct participation of Saudi Arabia.
When considering the situation in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict zone, the participants stressed the need to create conditions for a lasting ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and for the immediate provision of humanitarian assistance to the civilian population of the enclave. The importance of normalising the situation and ending illegal settlement activity in the West Bank was emphasised. A united position was once again expressed in favour of a comprehensive and all-encompassing solution to the Palestinian problem on a well-established international legal basis.
Sergey Lavrov gave a detailed account of Russia’s assessments of developments concerning Ukraine. He reaffirmed Russia’s firm commitment to a comprehensive and long-term 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 next, tenth Russia-GCC Joint Ministerial Meeting for Strategic Dialogue in the Russian Federation in 2027.
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s opening remarks at the 9th Joint Ministerial Meeting of Russia-GCC Strategic Dialogue
Photo: MFA
Mr Chairman,
Mr Secretary-General,
Colleagues, friends,
I’m pleased to join you all at the 9th Joint Ministerial Meeting of the Russia- GCC Strategic Dialogue, which is being held for the first time in the hospitable Kingdom of Bahrain. We are grateful to our Bahraini friends and the GCC Secretariat for the excellent organisation of the meeting.
I would like to start by offering my best wishes to everyone on the occasion of the 45th GCC anniversary. Strengthening multifaceted and mutually beneficial ties with GCC member states is on the list of top priorities of Russian foreign policy and diplomacy. The strategic dialogue with the Arab states of the Gulf was established in Abu Dhabi almost 15 years ago and has since consistently demonstrated its enduring value and effectiveness. It provides an opportunity to exchange views in a constructive and trusting manner on the most sensitive global and regional issues and to outline further practical steps to expand trade, economic, cultural, and humanitarian ties between our countries. The value of direct communication amid a rapidly changing geopolitical landscape cannot be overestimated.
The Russian Federation maintains regular and substantive top-level contacts with all GCC member states, which give a powerful boost to advancing our relations across the board.
We enjoy close foreign policy coordination. I appreciate candid and trusting personal exchanges with each of you, my dear friends. I have warm memories of the productive discussion at the previous 8th round of the Strategic Dialogue in Sochi in September 2025. The talks during your visits to Russia and my visits to the capitals of the region, as well as our contacts on the sidelines of the high-level week of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York were, without a doubt, useful.
Delegation exchanges continue, as does intensive dialogue between executive authorities. Intergovernmental commissions and business councils are actively engaged in productive work, delivering tangible results. In 2025, Russia’s total trade with GCC countries grew by 45 percent. Since 2021, almost all GCC member states have been honoured guests at one of Russia’s major annual events, the St Petersburg International Economic Forum. We welcome this tradition and look forward to seeing it continue. The positive momentum in bilateral cooperation is further reinforced by our joint efforts to implement the multilateral Joint Action Plan for the Strategic Dialogue for 2023-2028, which was adopted following the 6th meeting of the Strategic Dialogue in Moscow.
The effectiveness of our economic cooperation depends in good part on stability in the region. I look forward to discussing in detail the most pressing issues in the Middle East, above all the situation in the Gulf region, where a serious military and political crisis continues in the wake of the unprovoked aggression by the United States and Israel against the Islamic Republic of Iran which triggered a chain reaction across numerous other Middle Eastern flashpoints. Russia supports the ongoing peace efforts, including by the countries represented here, to prevent the region from being engulfed in a full-scale war.
We see the updated Concept for Collective Security in the Persian Gulf as our contribution to these efforts. You are familiar with it. Earlier revisions of this document have been discussed for decades with representatives of the political, academic, and expert communities from the GCC countries. We believe that the littoral states themselves must have the decisive say in determining how this vital region of the world can live in safety and security. Our Concept is specifically aimed at creating conditions for direct dialogue between the Gulf’s littoral states and their neighbours, such as Iraq and Jordan. As you are aware, we propose bringing onboard actors from outside the region as well, including the senior officials from the League of Arab States and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and, should you be interested, the permanent members of the UN Security Council, in order to bolster up this process.
In closing, I would like to emphasise that we sincerely value our friendly relations with all GCC member states and are firmly committed to steadily advancing our strategic dialogue for the benefit of our countries and peoples.
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