MANAMA /Bahrain/, October 18. /TASS/. Russia calls for settling the conflict between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis by political and diplomatic means, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.

"We also discussed the deteriorating situation in the south of the Arabian Peninsula. My colleague has already mentioned the situation in Yemen. Both we and our partners in the Gulf Cooperation Council stand for a political and diplomatic solution to this crisis. We believe there are ample grounds for this, including the 2023 road map developed with Saudi Arabia’s active and leading role," he told a news conference after the 9th round of the Russia-Gulf Cooperation Council Strategic Dialogue.

The Gulf Cooperation Council is a regional organization of six countries, namely Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Saudi Arabia. The organization's goal is to expand cooperation among member countries in all areas and to develop common positions on key international and regional issues.