MOSCOW — Saudi Arabia's Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan stressed Friday that the top priority now is to reach a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, as he addressed a joint press conference with his Russian counterpart in Moscow. The remarks came during Prince Faisal's official visit to the Russian capital, where he met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at the headquarters of the Russian Foreign Ministry. The visit, which began Thursday, reflects ongoing diplomatic engagement between Riyadh and Moscow amid escalating regional and international developments. During the press conference, the Saudi minister emphasized the urgent need to revive diplomatic efforts concerning Iran's nuclear program and called on Tehran to fully cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Lavrov, for his part, announced that Russia hopes Saudi Arabia will participate in the first Russian-Arab Summit, scheduled to take place on October in Moscow. According to Russia's Sputnik news agency, Lavrov also revealed that the 8th ministerial meeting for the "Russia–GCC Strategic Dialogue" will be held in Sochi on September 11. Welcoming Saudi Arabia's decision to join the 29th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum as Guest of Honor, Lavrov noted that the year also marks the centennial of diplomatic ties between Russia and the Kingdom, a milestone reflecting the deepening relationship between the two nations.
