MOSCOW, August 2. /TASS/. Russia is expressing its high appreciation to Belarus and its President Alexander Lukashenko for help with the prisoner exchange between Moscow and Washington, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

"We, of course, must give the highest assessment to the collaboration that took place with the Belarusian KGB and the Foreign Ministry and the assistance that was personally provided by Lukashenko," he said at a news conference.

One of the people in the exchange was German national Rico Krieger, who had been recruited by Ukrainian security services and sentenced to death for terrorism in Belarus. Lukashenko pardoned him, allowing his return Germany. The Kremlin earlier expressed gratitude to Lukashenko for the move.