Lavrov arrives in Bahrain ahead of Russia-GCC meeting

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Saturday arrived in Bahrain to take part in a meeting between Moscow and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

Lavrov’s arrival in Bahrain’s capital Manama was announced in a Foreign Ministry statement, shared together with photos of the top diplomat being welcomed by officials upon his arrival.

Lavrov was greeted by his Bahraini counterpart Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, as well as GCC Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Al-Budaiwi and Russian Ambassador to Manama Alexey Skosyrev.

The visit comes as the Gulf nation prepares to host the ninth edition of the Russia-GCC Strategic Dialogue at the level of foreign ministers, which was last convened in the Russian resort city of Sochi in September 2025.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told a press briefing on Thursday that the meeting will exchange views on a broad range of international and regional issues. She added that Lavrov will also hold meetings on the sidelines.

Burç Eruygur