In a joint statement issued on the 14th month of Jumada al-Awwal 1444 AH (corresponding to 8 December 2022 AD), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the United Arab Emirates and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia announced the success of the mediation led by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, and HRH Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, for the release and exchange of two prisoners between the United States of America and the Russian Federation.
The joint statement released by the two ministries confirmed that the success of the mediation efforts is a reflection of the shared and close friendship between their two countries, the United States of America and the Russian Federation, and the important role played by the leadership of the two brotherly countries in promoting dialogue between all parties.
The statement indicated that Abu Dhabi received on 14 Jumada al-Awwal 1444 AH (corresponding to December 8, 2022 AD) American citizen Brittney Grainer on a private plane en route from Moscow, after the Russian authorities released her in connection with reception of Russian citizen Viktor Bout on a private plane from Washington after his release by the US authorities in the presence of specialists from the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. The American and Russian sides handed over their citizens, preparing to hand them over to their countries.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the United Arab Emirates and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia expressed gratitude to the governments of the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the governments of the United States of America and the Russian Federation for their cooperation and response to the joint mediation efforts undertaken by the leadership of the two countries.
