Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov Meets with Bahrain King Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa

PRESS RELEASE

As part of the official visit to Russia of King Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa of Bahrain, his meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov took place on December 2.

During the conversation questions of strengthening Russian-Bahraini political interaction on major global and regional problems were discussed.

Special attention was paid to the tasks in stabilizing the situation in the strategically important Persian Gulf zone. The importance of a swift return to normalcy in Iraq through achieving national consensus and of resolving the situation around the Iranian nuclear program by politico-diplomatic methods also was pointed out in this context.

In discussing conditions in the Middle East, the common view was expressed about the need to continue peacemaking efforts by all the parties concerned, including the Quartet of international mediators, in order to achieve concrete results opening the way for the creation of an independent Palestinian state and for a comprehensive settlement in the region. The Bahraini monarch spoke in support of holding the international meeting on the Middle East in Moscow.

December 3, 2008