The two ministers held a press conference in which the Minister of Foreign Affairs made a press statement noting that His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa received in the presence of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Lavrov, who conveyed to His Majesty the greetings and appreciation of Russian President Vladimir Putin, and his best wishes to the Kingdom of Bahrain and its people of further growth and prosperity.

The minister also highlighted that His Majesty the King, and the Russian Foreign Minister discussed during their meeting the latest regional and international developments and challenges, in particular the situation in Ukraine. He said His Majesty stressed the importance of resolving the conflict in Ukraine in a way that achieves the interests of the two neighbouring countries and the security and stability of the European continent as well as international peace and security.  He pointed out the importance of resorting to dialogue and diplomatic solutions, in accordance with the rules of international law, in order to reach a political settlement that ends the conflict, guarantees security and peace for all parties, preserves the lives of civilians, and delivers humanitarian and relief aid to refugees and displaced persons.

He added that His Majesty the King, expressed during the meeting the Kingdom of Bahrain’s pride in the historical friendly relations with the Russian Federation, and its keenness to develop various aspects of bilateral cooperation and joint coordination to achieve the common interests of the two friendly countries and peoples.

The minister also noted that His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, received the Russian Foreign Minister and discussed joint cooperation, in addition to the current regional and international issues, developments in Ukraine and the efforts made to reach a ceasefire and a political settlement.

The importance of continuing efforts to explore areas of enhancing joint cooperation in all economic, commercial and investment fields was also emphasised during the meeting.

He added that he discussed with the Russian Minister bilateral cooperation and ways of enhancing it.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs highlighted that the two sides discussed regional and international developments and issues of common concern, including the Palestinian issue, Yemen, Syria, regional security and the Iranian nuclear file.

He further emphasized the importance of continuing international efforts to achieve security and stability in the Middle East, in particular, resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, and ensure the establishment of a Palestinian state in accordance with the two-state solution and the resolutions of international legitimacy.

He added that the two sides discussed developments in Ukraine and the efforts aimed at continuing bilateral negotiations between the Russian Federation and Ukraine to reach a ceasefire and a political settlement that ends the conflict and restores security and peace to the European continent.

The minister said that he affirmed the position of the Kingdom of Bahrain calling for diplomatic solutions and the resumption of negotiations between the two parties, and the need to establish security, stability and lasting and comprehensive peace in Ukraine and the European continent to achieve growth and prosperity for the benefit of their peoples. He pointed out the necessity of opening safe passages for civilians and providing them with protection, and the delivery of humanitarian and relief aid to refugees and displaced persons.

For his part, the Russian minister expressed his pride and appreciation for the meeting that took place with His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, and the constructive talks with His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, during which distinguished bilateral relations between Bahrain and Russia were reviewed.

The Russian minister noted that the official talks held with his Bahraini counterpart were constructive, during which they discussed growing bilateral relations in various economic, cultural, educational and investment fields. They also discussed the situation in Ukraine and the current security situation, the armistice in Yemen, the situation in Palestine, and the Iranian nuclear programme.  He praised the role of the Kingdom of Bahrain and its efforts in supporting peace and stability in the region, lauding the Kingdom’s neutral stance on the crisis in Ukraine, and its keenness to establish peace and security in the European continent.

He also expressed keenness on boosting bilateral cooperation and coordination, expressing his satisfaction with the efforts made by the two countries to increase prospects for investment cooperation between them. He praised the ambitious plans to increase cultural cooperation, which will contribute to further developing relations between the two friendly countries.