On Thursday, a joint statement made by the UAE and Saudi claimed the President of the UAE and the Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia led the mediation efforts to secure the release of US basketball star Brittney Griner through a prisoner swap with Russia.

The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MoFAIC) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, through a joint statement, stated that the mediation led by UAE President, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, for the acquittal and swapping of two prisoners between the United States of America and the Russian Federation was successful.

The Ministries further said that the success of the mediation efforts reflected the mutual and solid friendship between the UAE, Saudi Arabia, the United States of America, and the Russian Federation.

The joint statement highlighted the critical role played by the leaders of the two brotherly countries in promoting an amicable dialogue amongst all the parties.

U.S. basketball player Brittney Griner, who was detained at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport and charged with illegal possession of cannabis arrived in Abu Dhabi by private plane from Moscow after her release by Russian authorities and Russian citizen Viktor Bout, a former arms dealer, came in on another private plane from Washington after being released by U.S. authorities in the presence of specialists from the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

The foreign ministries of UAE and Saudi Arabia expressed gratitude to their respective governments of the U.S. and Russia for their cooperation and response, and for the joint mediation efforts made by the leaders of the two countries.

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