MOSCOW: The Arab-Russian Cooperation Forum at the ministerial level Kicked off Wednesday in Moscow.
The forum, held for the first time, aims at developing an action plan for a joint cooperation for a period of three years (2013 - 2015).
In his opening remarks to the forum, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov expressed hope that the forum will help in expanding the various relations between Russia and the Arab League, pointing out that the Memorandum of Understanding for the forum had been signed in December 2009.
Foreign Ministers of Egypt, Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon and Libya, and the Arab League chief will attend the forum.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said that Moscow believes that the launch of the practical cooperation mechanism with the Arab League has great importance in the light of achieving remarkable progress in Russian-Arab cooperation in all fields.
The forum is expected to adopt a joint statement and a three-year action plan, the spokesman added.
The situation in Syria, the Palestinian issue and the latest developments in Libya, Sudan, Yemen and Somalia will top the forum's agenda. (QNA)
