UAE lauds Saudi King Salman’s visit to Russia

Dubai: Anwar Gargash, United Arab Emirates (UAE) Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in Abu Dhabi, called on Friday via his twitter account the visit by Saudi King Salman to Russia’s President Vladimir Putin an “impressive success.” King Salman started on Thursday a four-day visit to Russia, marking the first official trip by a Saudi monarch to Moscow, Xinhua news agency reported. Gargash said the visit by King Salman, “is a success for the Arabs. Saudi Arabia’s pivotal role in the common interest and positive movement neutralises the influence of neighbouring countries in Yemen.” The UAE has been fighting since March 2015 as part of a Saudi-led pan-Arab coalition against Iran-backed Shia Houthi rebels in Yemen in order to support the government under President Abdu-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.