Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday in a telephone conversation with Bahraini King Sheikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa told him about the reasons and goals of the special operation in Ukraine, the Kremlin press service reported.
"Vladimir Putin spoke about the reasons and goals of the special military operation to protect Donbass, the measures being taken to protect civilians, as well as the work being done by the Russian side in negotiations with Ukrainian representatives," the statement said.
It is noted that the Russian President and the King of Bahrain agreed to continue personal contacts.
Also Putin and the King of Bahrain discussed cooperation in the fight against covid. "They discussed topical issues of Russian-Bahraini cooperation in the political, trade and economic spheres. Attention was paid to cooperation in the fight against the spread of coronavirus infection, including in view of the successful use of Russian vaccines in the kingdom," the report said.
It was reported that the sides expressed a "mutual desire for the further progressive development of friendly ties between Russia and Bahrain". The conversation took place at the initiative of the Bahraini side.
Bahrain News Agency also reported that Putin and the King of Bahrain stressed the importance of resolving conflicts through dialogue. "During the conversation, they discussed the need for a diplomatic resolution of differences between countries through dialogue and peaceful methods, as well as avoiding further escalation and the importance of uniting the efforts of the international community for a lasting and comprehensive peace in order to guarantee the interests of all parties and national security in the context of considering the recent events in Ukraine," the agency said in a report.
On February 24, Putin announced a special military operation in Ukraine in response to a request for help from the leaders of the Donbass republics. Among the demands of the Russian side are the demilitarization and denationalization of Ukraine, the neutral and non-nuclear status of this state, and the recognition of Russian ownership of Crimea and the sovereignty of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics.
Russian-Ukrainian talks began on February 28. On March 10, Russian and Ukrainian foreign ministers Sergey Lavrov and Dmitry Kuleba also met on the sidelines of a diplomatic forum in Turkish Antalya. In addition, Putin previously spoke about a series of talks in video format. The Russian delegation, as with the face-to-face meetings, is headed by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky.
GSV "Russia - Islamic world"
Photo: official website of the President of the Russian Federation
Based on materials from TASS