A New Ear for GCC-Russia Relations by Dr. Marat Terterov, Gulf Research Center

Published: November 26, 2007, 11:53 am

A New Era for GCC-Russia RelationsDr. Marat Terterov, Gulf Research CenterDUBAI, 22 November 2007 - Russia's Middle Eastern strategy appears to be going from strength to strength. While the US continues to be embroiled in the Iraqi insurgency, and the West's standoff with Tehran over its alleged nuclear weapons program fuels tension across the Gulf, 2007 may go down as a landmark year for Moscow's foreign policy making toward the region. Russian President Putin's tour of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Jordan in February 2007 - the first such visit by a Russian or Soviet head of state - has already set the stage for Moscow to strongly consolidate on its already vastly improving relations with the Gulf states.While Saudi Arabia and the rest of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states remain firm allies of the US, they are nevertheless concerned - even alarmed - by the manner in which Washington is imposing its uni-polar foreign policy will in the Gulf and the heightening of security concerns

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