Russian and Saudi Foreign Ministers Emphasize the Importance of De-escalation in the Middle East

Moscow, August 8 (KUNA) -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, affirmed on Tuesday the importance of enhancing “confidence-building measures” and de-escalation in the Middle East, as well as the priority of political solutions to regional crises. In a press conference following his talks with Prince Faisal in Moscow, Lavrov stated that the situation in the Middle East “requires strengthening confidence-building measures,” emphasizing Russia’s readiness to contribute to efforts to calm tensions and address regional issues of mutual interest. In this regard, he reiterated Moscow’s rejection of Houthi attacks on Saudi infrastructure, stressing that military solutions do not resolve crises and negatively impact global trade and the economy. On the Palestinian issue, Lavrov said that Russia and Saudi Arabia proceed from the fact that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict “cannot be resolved by force,” noting that the situation in the Gaza Strip received special attention during his talks with his Saudi counterpart. For his part, Prince Faisal said that the Kingdom does not rule out diplomacy in dealing with the threats it faces, but it “will not hesitate to defend its borders,” adding that Riyadh is monitoring additional escalation attempts in the movements of Houthi militias. (End) D.A.N / A.M.S