LONDON, May 8. /TASS/. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who had a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, called for the continuation of bilateral dialogue but admitted the existence of obstacles on this path, a Downing Street spokesperson said in a statement on Friday.
"They also discussed the bilateral relationship between our countries. The Prime Minister was clear we should maintain dialogue but that obstacles to further progress remained," the statement reads.
According to the statement, the Prime Minister spoke to the Russian leader to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day. "They paid tribute to the collaboration between British and Russian forces during the Second World War, including through the Arctic convoys, and to the heroism and sacrifice of all those who lost their lives," it says.
Johnson has invited Putin to take part in the third Global Vaccine Summit the UK will organize in the online format on June 3-4.
"The Prime Minister invited President Putin to take part in the Global Vaccine Summit that the UK will host virtually in June, to strengthen healthcare systems and tackle coronavirus in some of the world’s poorest countries," the statement says. "The leaders spoke about the coronavirus pandemic and agreed on the importance of continuing to work together and with other countries to defeat the disease.".
The Kremlin press service said earlier on Friday that Putin and Johnson has exchanged congratulations on the 75th anniversary of VE Day. Johnson, according to the Kremlin press service, expressed gratitude for the former Soviet Union’s decisive contribution to the defeat of Nazism. "Both sides expressed readiness to boost dialogue and cooperation on issues on the Russian-British agenda as well as on resolving current global challenges," the Kremlin said.