ST. PETERSBURG, June 16. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin is grateful to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for its assistance in addressing humanitarian issues, including the exchange of detainees, during the events in Ukraine.

"I would like to thank you for your efforts to address humanitarian issues during the events in Ukraine, the events related to the exchange of detainees and the resolution of a number of other humanitarian issues of this kind," Putin told UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in his opening remarks at the talks on Friday.

Putin stressed that those efforts "matter to specific people, and this is always the most important thing."

"Thank you very much for that," the Russian leader said.

At the meeting Putin suggested "discussing the situation in the region.".