Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Bahraini counterpart Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa are due to hold talks in Moscow on Wednesday to discuss the situation in the Middle East and the Persian Gulf and also bilateral relations. Russia's Foreign Ministry official spokesperson Maria Zakharova said "the upcoming talks will contribute to further deepening the Russian-Bahraini political dialogue." The talks will assess the implementation of the agreements reached last year during the visit of Bahrain's King and the Crown Prince to Russia. The meeting will especially focus on the acute problems and the prospects of the Russian-Bahraini relations, including stepping up cooperation in the trade and economic, energy, banking, transport and investment spheres. "We have prepared a whole range of common ideas and proposals that need to be implemented, and the existing potential of cooperation needs to be fulfilled," Zakharova stressed. The foreign ministers are expected to analyze the situation in the Middle East and the Persian Gulf, including the military and political environment in some countries of the region. "While exchanging views on this issue, the Russian side will focus on the need to solve these conflicts through a broad nation-wide dialogue without foreign interference and imposing schemes that are away from the regional reality," the diplomat said. The top diplomats will also discuss cooperation as part of the multilateral formats, including the strategic dialogue Russia-Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf. Its fourth round is expected to be organized in Moscow next year. "In this context, the issue of ensuring collective security in the Persian Gulf will be discussed, including through implementing the respective Russian concept," Zakharova said, adding that the ministers could also discuss the domestic situation in Bahrain.
