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Middle East and North Africa

Arab League chief points to Russia as region’s key influential player

MOSCOW, July 5. /TASS/. Russia is one of the major forces on the international and regional arena, Secretary General of the League of Arab States Ahmed Aboul Gheit said at talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Wednesday.

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"The Arab League believes that Russia is one of key forces on the international and regional arena," Aboul Gheit said, thanking Lavrov for the invitation to visit Moscow.

The Arab League chief said he plans to discuss at the talks "the problems that concern the Middle East region."

Lavrov said Russia wants all Arab countries to take part in the work of the Arab League. "We want the League’s activity to be really inclusive in terms of the participation of all Arab states without exception," he said.

In November 2011, the League suspended Syria’s membership in the organization amid the beginning of the domestic crisis in the country. Although Syria is officially a member of the League, its seat has been kept empty.

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