MOSCOW, March 9. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Senegalese counterpart, Chair of the African Union, President Macky Sall held a telephone conversation to discuss the situation covering Russia’s special military operation to protect Donbass and the development of ties between Moscow and Africa.

"At the request of Macky Sall, Vladimir Putin informed him [Sall] on the main aspects of the special military operation to protect Donbass with an emphasis on the humanitarian element. In particular, it was stressed that Russian military personnel take every possible measure to safely evacuate foreign citizens," the Kremlin press service said in a statement circulated after the conversation.

The Kremlin also stressed that the leaders confirmed the importance of the consistent implementation of the agreements reached at the first Russia-Africa summit in Sochi in 2019 and the further development of diverse ties between Russia and African countries.

"Several topics related to Russian-Senegalese cooperation were also touched upon in the context of this year's celebration of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations," the statement said.