DUBAI, June 2. /TASS/. Relations between the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Russia are based on mutual understanding and respect, UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan said at a meeting with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, in Cape Town, South Africa, on Friday.

"The two top diplomats discussed ways of strengthening relations of friendship and strategic partnership between the UAE and the Russian Federation. They also reviewed an array of latest regional and international developments and exchanged views on them," the Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported.

The top UAE diplomat stressed that relations between the two countries are "based on solid foundations of mutual understanding and respect as well as on constructive cooperation" and "have been witnessing rapid growth, particularly following the signing of the strategic partnership agreement in 2018," it said. "Sheikh Abdullah added the two countries were determined to take bilateral relations and cooperation to new heights in various fields to serve the mutual interests of their people."

The Russian foreign ministry said earlier in the day that the two ministers had discussed the development of cooperation in various fields, including advanced technologies, energy, tourism, and space exploration. Apart from that, they exchanged views on the situation in Syria, Yemen, and Libya.

The Friends of BRICS ministerial meeting was held earlier in Cape Town on Friday on the following day after the BRICS ministerial meeting. It was attended by foreign ministers from the BRICS nations and 12 countries of the Global South who are interested in joining the group, namely Argentina, Bangladesh, Venezuela, Gabon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, the Comoros, Cuba, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia.