08 Mar 2021; MEMO: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will today embark on a four-day official visit to the Gulf region which will include visits to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, his ministry announced yesterday.
His first stop will be the UAE, where he will meet Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Zayed and Foreign Minister Abdullah Bin Zayed. He will then head to Saudi Arabia, where he will meet Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman and Foreign Minister Faisal Bin Farhan.
Lavrov will conclude his four-day tour in Qatar where he will be received by Prince Tamim Bin Hamad and Minister of Foreign Affairs Muhammad Abdul Rahman.
According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, Lavrov will discuss strengthening trade and economic cooperation between Moscow and the three Gulf states as well as bilateral and regional political developments.
The statement said trade exchange between Russia and the three Gulf countries has grown despite the coronavirus pandemic, noting that this has risen by 78 per cent between Russia and the UAE in 2020 and reached $3.27 billion.
Great importance will be placed on discussions surrounding the global energy market, especially within the framework of OPEC+ forum.
