Saudi crown prince meets Russia's Lavrov at GCC meetings in Riyadh

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov took center stage at the Gulf Cooperation Council’s Riyadh meetings on Monday, holding one-on-one discussions with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan. 

Officials from Russia, India and Brazil convened in Riyadh on Monday for the GCC’s 161st Ministerial Council meeting. Indian, Russian and Brazilian foreign ministers all took part in separate meetings with their GCC counterparts but mingled with each other and high-level Saudi officials. On Monday, Lavrov met his Indian and Brazilian counterparts S. Jaishankar and Mauro Vieira on the sidelines of the meetings.  

Lavrov met with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan on Monday prior to attending the GCC-Russia Joint Ministerial Meeting for Strategic Dialogue, the seventh meeting of its kind between Russia and the GCC.  

Later on Monday, Lavrov held one-on-one talks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Their discussions included “reviewing bilateral relations, identifying areas for cooperation and exploring ways to boost collaboration in various fields,” according to the Saudi Press Agency. 

In a press conference on Monday following the meetings, Lavrov told reporters that the GCC session included discussions on strengthening trade, investment and cultural ties between GCC nations and Russia, along with key regional issues. “We paid special attention to international affairs,"  Lavrov said, "emphasizing the tragedy that is unfolding in Palestine, in Gaza” as well as “Syria, the situation in Yemen and the Red Sea, [and] in Libya.”

Lavrov also revealed that Russia had invited the crown prince to attend the upcoming BRICS summit in Kazan scheduled for Oct. 22-24.