MOSCOW, June 1. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Nayef Falah Al-Hajraf, Secretary General of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC), expressed mutual interest in building up industrial cooperation and implementing joint projects both in Russia and in the GCC countries. This is according to a statement the Russian Foreign Ministry issued on Wednesday following the visit of Lavrov to Riyadh.

"Much attention was paid to the prospects for the development of investment and trade and economic cooperation between Russia and the monarchies of the Arabian Peninsula. The most promising areas include introduction of advanced Russian technologies, in particular in the field of nuclear energy and peaceful space. Mutual interest was expressed in building up industrial cooperation and implementing joint projects both in Russia and in the GCC countries," the ministry said.

The Foreign Ministry added that the parties also confirmed their common intention to "further strengthen cooperation in the areas of combating terrorism and extremism, establishing an inter-civilizational dialogue, developing joint steps to counter new global challenges and threats in relation to the Middle East region."

"During the conversation, the parties highly appreciated the practice of holding ministerial rounds of strategic dialogue, which makes it possible to discuss in detail a wide range of issues that contribute to the coordination of the approaches of Russia and the GCC countries in the interests of resolving conflict situations in the Middle East, as well as creating conditions for the transition of this region to peace and stability and sustainable development," the diplomatic mission stated.

The meeting was held as part of the fifth ministerial meeting of the strategic dialogue between Russia and the GCC (Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Persian Gulf), the Russian Foreign Ministry added.