Persian Gulf: Cooperation Council Meeting with Russia, India, Brazil

Ways to find a peaceful solution to the war in Gaza and the armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine – these two topics were at the center of discussions at the Seventh Extended Meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which took place on September 9 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with the participation of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and representatives of India and Brazil.

“Ending the war in Gaza has been the top priority of the Gulf Cooperation Council at every meeting, especially this year. Coordination with these three countries, as well as with all countries in the world interested in protecting the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, continues,” said Council Secretary General Jasem Mohamed al Budaiwi.

“Since three countries are particularly active in finding a political solution, I am talking about Russia, India and Brazil, we agreed on the need to achieve an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, remove all obstacles to the delivery of humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza, and finally reach a permanent and comprehensive solution,” Al-Budaiwi emphasized.

In his statement, Sergei Lavrov reiterated Russia’s position that “genuine stability in the Middle East will never be achieved without a permanent and complete solution to the oldest regional problem, that is, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which must be based on a two-state solution in accordance with the provisions of United Nations resolutions.”

During the seventh ministerial meeting, “the strategic dialog between the Gulf countries and Russia” was resumed. The participants praised the strength of ties between the Gulf countries and Moscow. It was agreed to “form ties so that common interests can be achieved together.” In this context, Al-Budaiwi emphasized that the Gulf countries are “at an equal distance” regarding the Russia-Ukraine crisis and renewed support for the mediation efforts in the conflict by their member states – Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and Oman. It was emphasized that after the mass invasion of the Russian territories of Kursk and Belgorod by Ukrainian troops, the armed conflict took a particularly dangerous turn, since the fighting took place in the area of an operating nuclear power plant. To resolve this crisis, the meeting called for the use of dialog to resolve the conflict through negotiation. Russian diplomatic chief Sergei Lavrov gratefully welcomed the position expressed by the Gulf countries.