The Moscow News yesterday re-launched its Arabic edition in the United Arab Emirates 17 years after its closure, RIA Novosti reported. Anbaa Mosku will cover Russian affairs and is a part of Russian government's new strategy to step up relations with the Arab world.

"The advent of this publication will not only serve as a portal through which the Arabic-speaking community in London can observe Russian affairs, but as a long-awaited bridge of communication between the Middle East and Russia," Svetlana Mironyuk, editor-in-chief of RIA Novosti was quoted by MyNewsDesk.com as saying. The bi-weekly independent newspaper is now distributed in 13 countries across Middle East, North Africa, London and Russia with a circulation of more than 190,000 copies.

The newly launched Arabic newspaper will carry a circulation of 49,000 copies across United Arab Emirates.

If the newspaper performs financially well, Alexander Yu. Babinsky, deputy editor-in-chief of Ria Novost0, hinted that the production could beef up and the newspaper will transform from a bi-monthly to a new weekly edition, GulfNews.com reported today.