Russia's Lavrov heads to Saudi Arabia as Part of Gulf Tour

The Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is set to arrive in Saudi Arabia today Wednesday as part of his Gulf tour that was started by his visit to the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday,  where he met with Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan among other officials,

The Russian top diplomat is set to arrive for meetings with senior officials in Qatar on Thursday.

Lavrov is expected to meet with Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Faisal bin Farhan.

The Russian foreign minister will discuss with Saudi officials security in the region and economic cooperation.

Speaking at a joint press conference in Moscow with Russian Foreign Minister, Adel Al-Jubeir said earlier today that they had held talks on a range of issues in the Middle East.

Al-Jubeir said the Kingdom had highlighted the importance of implementing the UN Security Council resolution adopted in 2015 that called for a ceasefire and a political settlement in the country, where war has been raging for seven years.

He said there needed to be a political solution that “preserves Syria’s territorial integrity, security, and stability as well as the safety of citizens regardless of their religion or race.”

Saudi Arabia, along with western and other Arab countries have backed the main rebel forces in Syria against President Bashar Assad. Russia, however, has been one of the biggest supporters of the regime, providing military support which enabled Al-Assad to gain the upper hand in the conflict.