GCC praises Saudi Arabia’s efforts to mediate between Russia and Ukraine
The head of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) on Friday praised efforts by Saudi Arabia to facilitate dialogue between Russia and Ukraine, a day after the Kingdom’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said he is ready to mediate to resolve the crisis.
GCC Secretary General Jassem Mohamed Albudaiwi “applauded the pivotal mediation efforts undertaken by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to resolve the Russian-Ukrainian crisis,” Saudi press agency (SPA) reported on Friday.
The secretary general also “appreciated the visit” made by Prince Faisal to Russia and Ukraine “to narrow differences and help in bringing an end to the crisis,” SPA said in the statement.
During a press conference with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Moscow on Thursday Prince Faisal said, “the Kingdom is ready to mediate to resolve the crisis in Ukraine.”
Prior to the Thursday conference, the Saudi foreign minister and Lavrov discussed international developments, including the war in Ukraine, bilateral ties, and the stability of oil markets.