MARRAKESH, December 20. /TASS/. Russia and Arab countries have issued a joint statement and signed a joint action plan for 2024-2026 as a result of the the Russian-Arab Cooperation Forum in Morocco, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.
"The assessments of the situation in the region and in the international arena are enshrined in the joint statement that we adopted and that is being circulated by our Moroccan hosts. We also advocated further strengthening of practical cooperation between Russia and the Arab world," the Russian top diplomat said at a press conference following the event. "The development of political dialogue, cooperation in the sphere of security, economy, trade, investment, culture, education, in general, humanitarian issues - all this is stipulated in the plan of joint actions, this is the second document of this kind, which was also adopted today. It covers the period from 2024 to 2026. Of course, this is a very important benchmark for the development of further practical cooperation for mutual benefit," he said.
The foreign minister pointed out that the sides agreed to cooperate in all UN structures and other international formats. "In addition to the Palestinian issue, we discussed the situation in Syria, Libya, Yemen, Sudan and other crisis areas. We expressed hope that Damascus' return to the League of Arab States will help create additional conditions for promoting a comprehensive political settlement in and around Syria on the basis of respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of this country," the minister added.