A State Duma Delegation Met With The UAE Minister Of Information And Culture

Sunday evening, a State Duma delegation which is on a visit to the United Arab Emirates now, met with Sheikh Abdallah Al Nuhayyan, UAE minister of information and culture. A RIA Novosti correspondent reports that during the talks the sides discussed ways to develop the two countries' cooperation in the spheres of information and culture. Dmitry Rogozin, chairman of the international committee of the State Duma (Russian parliament's lower chamber) and head of the delegation, said that Russian law-makers were striving to strengthen ties with Arab countries within the framework of Russia's foreign policy course. In turn, the UAE minister of information noted that the Emirates welcomed Moscow's striving to enhance its role as a co-sponsor of the Mid-East peace settlement process and hoped that Russia's return to the Persian Gulf area would help maintain the balance of forces in the region. The State Duma delegation, which is made up of representatives of various Duma factions, arrived for a working visit to the UAE on April 27.