MOSCOW, July 4. /TASS/. The first-ever Russia-Arab summit will take place in October in the Russian capital, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced at the opening of talks in Moscow with his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud.

"Regarding regional and international affairs, we will discuss them in detail today alongside our bilateral agenda. It is important for us to prepare for two major events we have agreed upon this year: on September 11, the eighth ministerial meeting of the Russia-Gulf Cooperation Council strategic dialogue will be held in Sochi. And on October 15, Moscow will host the first-ever Russia-Arab summit," Lavrov said.

"We very much hope for the personal participation of Crown Prince [of Saudi Arabia] and Chairman of the Council of Ministers Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud," the Russian foreign minister added.

Lavrov emphasized that the personal relationship between the Saudi Crown Prince and Russian President Vladimir Putin sets the pace and tone for bilateral relations and "serves as a basis for their progressive, mutually beneficial development."

In turn, the Saudi foreign minister expressed gratitude for the hospitality. "During today’s meeting, I would like to reaffirm to you, Mr. Lavrov, Saudi Arabia’s commitment to strengthening bilateral relations between our countries and readiness for their progressive development. I also want to highlight the importance of today’s discussion on a number of regional and international issues of mutual interest, especially given the current geopolitical context," he noted.

The Saudi foreign minister praised the coordination between the two countries in bilateral relations and joint responses to the numerous challenges of the modern era.