MOSCOW, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday held a telephone conversation with United Arab Emirates (UAE) President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to discuss the crisis situation in the Middle East and around Iran.

According to the Kremlin, both leaders pointed out during the call that it is necessary to further advance political and diplomatic efforts, fully accommodate the interests of all regional countries, and reach compromise peace agreements on this basis.

The statement noted that the two heads of state expressed satisfaction with the sound progress of bilateral cooperation in political, trade and economic fields, and agreed to maintain frequent bilateral exchanges.

Putin also thanked the UAE for its repeated assistance in resolving humanitarian issues amid the Ukraine crisis. ■