Readout of the President's Call with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan

President Obama spoke today by phone with the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, to discuss recent developments in the Middle East. They agreed that Russia’s military operations in Syria should focus on ISIL – not moderate Syrian opposition groups – and reaffirmed the importance of establishing the conditions necessary for a political transition in Syria. With regard to Yemen, both leaders agreed on the importance of expanding immediately the free flow of humanitarian assistance and that all parties resume negotiations promptly aimed at ending the conflict. The President and Crown Prince agreed on the importance of Libya’s parties moving quickly to endorse the political agreement reached through United Nations-facilitated negotiations.