The U.S.-Iran conflict and the war in Yemen were the main business of talks between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, who was in Moscow on a working visit Sept. 8, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry’s account of the meeting.

“Particular attention was paid to the escalation of tensions in the Persian Gulf following the US-Israeli aggression against Iran,” the ministry said. The two ministers held that “the existing differences can only be resolved through political and diplomatic means, with full respect for the interests of all the states in the region involved in the conflict,” and stressed “the importance of ensuring freedom and safety of navigation and the unimpeded passage of vessels through all international waterways.”

Lavrov briefed his counterpart “in detail on Russia’s updated Concept for Collective Security in the Persian Gulf,” and reaffirmed Russia’s readiness “to engage constructively with all interested parties in developing a comprehensive security architecture and promoting interstate cooperation in this strategically important region.”