Russian Foreign Minister Russia Sergey Lavrov embarked on a four-day tour of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the UAE on March 4. But while US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s tour of the Middle East in January sought to showcase Washington’s commitment to its regional allies, Lavrov senses that currents are changing and that Moscow needs to more actively put itself on the radar of powerful monarchies.
The Gulf has become a regular, even routine, destination for Russian diplomats. However, the Syrian conflict and Iran have dominated agendas for the past few years, never giving Russian diplomats and their counterparts a chance to explore the depth of relations. A multi-day regional tour to check the status of relations was long overdue.
The states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have extended invitations to Russian President Vladimir Putin on several occasions and may have hoped to see him instead of Russia’s top diplomat. However, by sending Lavrov ahead of Putin to the Gulf, Moscow is trying to make a point to the Arab monarchies that there hasn’t been enough feasible progress in relations for Putin to acknowledge it. In this context, Lavrov’s Gulf tour is both a technical and a political affair.
Politically, Moscow has become more visible in the Middle East and gained the recognition of regional powers through its bold campaign in Syria. While political influence is seen as an important pillar of Russia’s long-term presence in the region, there is a clear ambition in Moscow to capitalize on its regional recognition as a great power, and there is no better place to do that than in the Gulf.
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