Lavrov tells UAE counterpart of Russia's approaches to negotiating with Ukraine

MOSCOW. Feb 28 (Interfax) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov set out Moscow's approaches to the possibility of talks with Ukrainian authorities in a telephone conversation with United Arab Emirates' Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Russian Foreign Ministry stated on its website on Monday.

"Lavrov informed his Emirati counterpart in detail of the situation unfolding in Ukraine in light of the conduct of the special military operation, setting out our fundamental approaches as applied to the possibility of talks with the Ukrainian authorities," the statement said.

"It was especially stressed that ensuring the safety of the civilian population is a priority during this mission to demilitarize and denazify Ukraine," it said.

The pair also discussed further strengthening of the wide-ranging Russian-Emirati ties, with a focus on practical implementation of the agreements reached during Russian President Vladimir Putin's state visit to Abu Dhabi in October 2019, and provisions of the UAE-Russia Strategic Partnership Declaration signed in Moscow in June 2018.

The ministers also discussed the schedule of future exchanges.