Russian envoy greets President

Sergey Yakovlev, the Russian ambassador to the UAE, yesterday greeted President His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and the people of the country on the occasion of the UAE's 31st National Day and Eid Al Fitr.

"We share our happiness with the UAE people and their leadership on this auspicious occasion of marking the tremendous achievements attained during the last three decades, and extend our well-wishes and greetings on the happy occasion of Eid," he said.

Yakovlev stressed that Moscow enjoys good friendly relations with Abu Dhabi and other partners in the region.

The envoy also praised the UAE's stand against terrorism and its cooperation with the international community in the worldwide peace and security campaign.

"It is our common interest to share information on terrorist activities to curb the phenomenon, which is the threat of the 21st Century. We are ready to share this kind of information with our friends in the region," Yakovlev said.

Elaborating on the Iraqi issue, the ambassador said that Moscow was against military options. "We are against direct military strike on Iraq. There is a chance to settle the issue according to UN resolutions," he stressed.