MOSCOW, May 19. /TASS/. Russia attaches great importance to the development of interaction with the countries of the Middle East and North Africa, including that within the framework of the dialogue with the League of Arab States (LAS), Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a message addressed to participants in the pan-Arab summit that began on Friday.
"Russia traditionally attaches great importance to the development of friendly relations and constructive partnership with the countries of the Middle East and North Africa, including within the framework of the dialogue with the LAS, in order to effectively counter the threats and challenges faced by contemporary humankind," reads the Russian leader’ message uploaded to the Kremlin website on Friday.
"We intend to continue to actively support collective efforts for peace solution of acute regional problems, including the crises in Sudan, Yemen, Libya and Syria, while invariably respecting state sovereignty and the existing norms of international law," he said. Putin pointed out that Moscow would continue to "provide all possible assistance to resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict on the basis of the approaches stipulated by the relevant UN decisions as well as the Arab Peace Initiative, whose author, Saudi Arabia, is the host of the current LAS summit."
"We believe that further expansion of multifaceted cooperation between Russia and the Arab countries fully meets our common interests," the Russian leader said, pointing out that this cooperation was in line with building "a more fair and democratic system of international relations, based on the principles of multipolarity, genuine equality and respect for each other's legitimate interests."
In conclusion, the Russian president wished the participants in the meeting "successful work and all the best."
The LAS summit began on Friday in the city of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The main issues on the agenda will be Syria's return to the LAS, crises in Yemen, Libya and Syria, as well as the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, including the recent escalation between radical groups in the Gaza Strip and Israel. The Arab leaders will also discuss ways of strengthening economic ties and coordinating efforts to combat terrorism.