MOSCOW, December 14. /TASS/. The United Arab Emirates welcome Russia’s initiatives on establishment of security in the Persian Gulf, UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan said in the wake of the meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov.

"We, of course, welcome Russia’s efforts in this field. We intend to unite and step up efforts in our region to make our states more modern and up-to-date," he said.

The UAE top diplomat noted that there are still options to improve security in the Persian Gulf region.

"First and foremost, we must protect our region from becoming an area with weapons of mass destruction," he said.

The diplomat underscored that it is important to prevent the return to neo-colonialism and counter extremism in the region.

In July 2019, Russia published the Concept of collective security in the Persian Gulf area. The document poses a strategic goal of establishment a comprehensive collective security and cooperation mechanism involving all regional states on equal basis.