Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed and Russian President Vladimir Putin discuss regional issues

Two discuss ways to improve co-operation in phone call

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Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed ways to improve co-operation between their countries on Wednesday.

During a phone call, they reviewed issues of regional and international interest – specifically the Libyan crisis, Wam reported.

They spoke about the importance of unifying efforts and returning to political dialogue in a way that achieves development, stability and peace for the Libyan people.

They also discussed the latest developments related to the Covid-19 pandemic and efforts to limit its spread.

The UAE and Russia have long-standing ties – Mr Putin most recently visited the Emirates in October.

During his official visit, Sheikh Mohamed referred to Mr Putin as a “friend” and Moscow as “my second home”.

The UAE is Russia’s biggest partner in the Gulf, with bilateral trade reaching Dh12.5 billion last year.

The collaboration between the nations also now includes space exploration, after Russian expertise helped the first Emirati astronaut Hazza Al Mansouri into space.

Maj Al Mansouri was able to spend eight days on board the International Space Station thanks to the technology and training provided by Russia's space agency, Roscosmos.

The UAE and Russia also collaborate on a host of defence matters, including counter-terrorism.