MOSCOW, November 20 (RIA Novosti) - Saudi Arabia wants to build a mosque and an Islamic culture center in Moscow, the Ambassador to Russia Ali Hasan Jafar told Russia's top Muslim official on Thursday.

Ravil Gainutdin, who heads the Russian Mufti Council, told the Saudi envoy that he believed such a project would strengthen ties between the countries.

However, he told RIA Novosti that the location and construction date have yet to be agreed.

"We would not want to hurry events, as the Saudi side has only declared its intention. The construction of any building, especially a religious one, is a controversial issue, which sometimes can be debated for years," Gainutdin said, adding that the Russian Muslim community is already discussing the issue.