Russian, UAE presidents discuss Middle East, Iran crises in phone call

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday, in a phone call with his UAE counterpart Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, discussed the crisis in the Middle East and Iran.

According to a Kremlin statement, the two leaders agreed on the importance of continuing the political and diplomatic process of developing compromise peace agreements while taking into account the interests of all regional states.

Putin and Al Nahyan also expressed satisfaction with the successful development of Russian-UAE cooperation in trade and economics and agreed to maintain active bilateral contacts, the statement said.

Putin also thanked the UAE for its regular assistance "in resolving humanitarian issues" due to the ongoing Ukrainian conflict, it added.

The official Emirati news agency WAM stated that "during the call, the two sides reviewed a number of regional and international issues of common interest and exchanged views on them."

They addressed "the latest developments in the Middle East region and their serious repercussions on regional and international peace and security, and their impact on international freedom of navigation, energy security and the global economy," WAM added.

Regional tensions have escalated since the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran on Feb. 28. In response, Tehran retaliated with strikes targeting Israel as well as US allies in the Gulf, along with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

A ceasefire took effect on April 8 through Pakistani mediation, but talks in Islamabad failed to produce a lasting agreement. US President Donald Trump later extended the truce indefinitely.

*Writing by Rasa Evrensel in Istanbul