Lavrov: Al-Ula summit will clear way for collective Gulf security system

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Thursday that the agreements concluded at the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit held in the Saudi city of Al-Ula will help create the appropriate conditions for a collective security system in the Gulf region.

“We believe the outcomes of this summit will contribute to creating the appropriate conditions to pass an initiative on establishing a collective security system in the Gulf region, especially taking into account the well-known Russian proposals,” the Russian minister said during a joint press conference with his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan in Moscow.

Lavrov described the GCC as an “important regional mechanism” noting that Moscow has previously welcomed the outcomes of the Al-Ula summit held on 5 January and culminating in the restoration of GCC unity.

The Russian Foreign Minister explained that Saudi Arabia, as a leading country in the GCC played an exceptional role in making the summit a success.

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