Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will visit the United Arab Emirates and Qatar on Dec 8-10, Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian foreign ministry, has told reporters.

According to Reuters, Russian President Vladimir Putin was visiting the UAE and Saudi Arabia on Wednesday in a rare trip abroad and was due to hold talks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to discuss oil, Opec+ and the conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine.

“On Dec 8-9, the Russian foreign minister will take part in the 14th Sir Bani Yas International Forum on peace and security in Abu Dhabi. On Dec 10, he is scheduled to speak at the 21st Doha Forum in Qatar,” Zakharova said.