JAKARTA - President of the United Arab Emirates (Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan) and Saudi Arabia's crown prince (Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud) are leading mediation efforts to secure the release of American basketball star Britney Griner in exchange for custody with Russia, a joint UAE-Arab Saudi statement said Thursday.
Griner arrived in the capital of the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi on a private plane from Moscow after being released by Russian authorities, the statement said. Also, Russian citizen Viktor Bout, a former arms trader, came on a private plane from Washington, after being released by US authorities.
"The success of mediation efforts is a reflection of the reciprocal and solid friendship between their two countries, with the United States and the Russian Federation," the joint statement said.
Ini "menyoroti peran penting yang dimainkan oleh kepemimpinan kedua negara persatuan, dalam mempromosikan dialog antara semua pihak".
Saudi Arabia had scored a previous diplomatic victory in September, securing freedom for foreign fighters arrested in Ukraine, at a time of tension between Riyadh and Washington.
Saudi Arabia and the UAE, both US traditional allies, are members of the OPEC+ oil producer alliance that includes Russia.
The two countries have resisted Western pressure, to help isolate Moscow from its invasion of Ukraine.
Their mediation reflects efforts to show their relationship with Russia is beneficial for Washington, which accuses Gulf oil producers of favoring Russia, when OPEC+ agreed in October to cut oil production targets over US objections.
As previously reported, United States basketball star Brittney Griner has been released in a prisoner swap with Russia and is on his way back to the United States, President Joe Biden said Thursday, ending what he called months of "fiting".
The Russian Foreign Ministry said it had exchanged Griners for Russian citizen Viktor Bout, a former arms trader. The exchange took place at Abu Dhabi airport, United Arab Emirates, the Russian news agency said.
"He is safe, he is on the plane, he is on his way home after months of unfair detention in Russia, detained in into intolerable circumstances," President Biden told reporters at the White House, adding he would arrive in the next 24 hours.
"This is a day we have been trying for a long time. We have never stopped pushing for his release," President Biden continued.
Griner, the Phoenix Mercury star of the Women's National Basketball Association, was arrested on February 17. The dialogue to secure his release was complicated by Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 24, as well as the deteriorating relationship between Washington and Moscow.
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