DUBAI, September 9. /TASS/. The Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Persian Gulf, also known as the Gulf Cooperation Council, or GCC, supports efforts geared toward settling the Ukrainian crisis, according to the statement issued after the GCC ministerial meeting, which was attended by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
"The Ministerial Council affirmed its support for the mediation efforts and initiatives undertaken by the GCC countries and their good endeavors to contribute to reaching a political solution to the crisis between Russia and Ukraine. The Council affirmed its support for international and regional efforts to resolve the crisis," the document reads.
The ministers stressed that "that the GCC position on the Russian-Ukrainian crisis is based on the principles of international law and the United Nations Charter, and the preservation of the international system based on respect for the sovereignty of states, their territorial integrity and political independence, non-interference in their internal affairs, and non-use or threat of force."
The top Russian diplomat arrived in Riyadh on September 8 to take part in a meeting of the Russia-Gulf Cooperation Council Strategic Dialogue. The sides discussed the situation in the Middle East, as well as the implementation of joint projects and ways to expand economic cooperation.
Earlier, Lavrov held bilateral meetings with his counterparts Mauro Vieira Mauro Vieira of Brazil, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar of India, and Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud of Saudi Arabia. Apart from that, he met with Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Hissein Brahim Taha and Saudi Crown Prince and Deputy Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud.