Egyptian, Russian presidents hold phone talks over Ukraine situation

CAIRO/MOSCOW, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi stressed dialogue and diplomatic efforts to solve the Russia-Ukraine crisis in a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, the Egyptian presidency said in a statement.

Sisi emphasized the importance of "prioritizing dialogue and diplomatic endeavors for swiftly settling the crisis politically to curb the deterioration of the crisis and to preserve the stability and security of the two countries," as the two leaders discussed the latest developments of the crisis, according to the statement.

Sisi voiced Egypt's keenness for working at the bilateral or the multilateral level for settling the crisis via diplomatic means.

"Egypt closely follows the latest field developments and attaches utmost priority to the safety and security of Egyptians in Ukraine," the statement said.

According to a statement released by the Kremlin, Putin, at the request of Sisi, explained the reasons and goals of the Russian military operation in Ukraine and briefed the Egyptian president about the Moscow-Kiev peace talks.

Sisi thanked the Russian side for the ongoing efforts to evacuate Egyptian citizens from the conflict zone, the Kremlin added.

Since Russia launched a "special military operation" in Ukraine on Feb. 24, the impact of the two countries' exchange of fire on civilians has worried the international community. As of Monday, at least 474 civilians have been killed and 861 others injured in Ukraine, showed the latest update by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.