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First rounds of Ukraine talks in UAE to take place behind closed doors, without the press

No information about the venue of the talks has been disclosed

ABU DHABI, January 23. /TASS/. The initial rounds of a trilateral working meeting in Abu Dhabi between Russia, the United States and Ukraine on security issues will be as confidential as possible, without the press, a source told TASS.

"No information about the venue of the talks has been disclosed," at least as of this evening, and "no press will be allowed on site," he said.

Foreign Minister of the United Arab Emirates Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan announced the start of the meeting earlier on Friday. As of 8:15 p.m. local time (4:15 p.m. GMT), a calm atmosphere was reported near large hotels and the presidential palace in the UAE capital, according to a TASS correspondent. None of the interviewed hotels has heard about a potential meeting between the three delegations.

Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov announced earlier that the trilateral Russian-US-Ukrainian working group on security issues will have its first meeting in Abu Dhabi on January 23. The Russian delegations will be led by Igor Kostyukov, chief of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian army. Ukrainian negotiators will be led by National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov.

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