DOHA, September 9. /TASS/. The countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have expressed concern over the development of Iran's nuclear program, according to a joint statement issued after a ministerial meeting in Riyadh.

"The Ministerial Council expressed the GCC's concerns regarding developments in the Iranian nuclear file, asserting the importance of expediting constructive understandings between Iran and the concerned states regarding the nuclear issue to safeguard regional security and stability," the statement said. The ministers also pointed to the importance of Iran's compliance with its commitments on the level of uranium enrichment and Tehran's cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

According to the statement, the Persian Gulf countries are ready to cooperate to solve problems related to Iran's nuclear program and to participate in all relevant negotiations at the regional and international levels. These talks should also include issues related to the security of the Arab Gulf states, including "ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, drones, the safety of international navigation, and oil facilities," the statement said.

Three ministerial meetings were held in Riyadh on Monday, including a session of the Strategic Dialogue between Russia and the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Persian Gulf (GCC), which was attended by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. On the sidelines of the event, the Russian foreign minister held a number of bilateral meetings, including with Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman Al-Saud, the country’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud, as well as top Indian diplomat Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and his Brazilian counterpart Mauro Vieira, who arrived in Riyadh to participate in separate meetings with GCC ministers.