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The meeting in Sochi marked the first face-to-face meeting between two world leaders.
Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted the first face-to-face meeting of the new Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett. The focus of the meeting was the situation in Iran and Syria.
At the beginning of the meeting held on Friday in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi, Putin welcomed Bennett, praised the “unique” Russia-Israel relationship and praised “the ties between our two peoples are very close.”
Russia and Israel have established close political, economic and cultural ties. They cooperated in the Syrian war, during which time Moscow cooperated with Tehran to support the rule of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
“We will…talk about the situation in Syria and the efforts to stop Iran’s military nuclear program,” Bennett said in Sochi.
Putin said that Russia, which launched military operations in Syria in 2015, has been “working hard” to restore and strengthen the country’s status.
He said that he has “common ground and opportunities for cooperation” with Israel in the situation there, especially “in the fight against terrorism.”
Bennett was appointed as Israel’s new prime minister on June 13, succeeding former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Bennett has said that his politics is more right-handed than his predecessor.
Syria, Iran
Israel regards Iran’s fortifications on its northern border as a red line, and has repeatedly attacked what it says are Iran-related facilities and a convoy of weapons destined for Hezbollah in Lebanon.
This Iran-backed organization fought side by side with Syrian government forces in the country’s civil war.
Russia and Israel established a military hotline to coordinate air operations over Syria to avoid conflict, but in 2018, the Syrian army shot down a Russian fighter plane after an Israeli air strike, which put their relationship to the test.
The troops mistaken a Russian reconnaissance plane for an Israeli jet. All 15 members of the Russian crew were killed.
At the same time, Moscow is trying to maintain friendly relations with Israel’s regional rival Iran.
Russia is one of the international parties that negotiated a nuclear agreement with Tehran in 2015. After then President Donald Trump withdrew in 2018, the deal broke down.
US President Joe Biden is now trying to restore agreements with other international powers-this is a step that Israel opposes.
‘Deep connection’
Putin maintains a close personal relationship with Netanyahu, who visited Russia many times during his 12 years in power.
On Friday, he pointed out the “business and trust relationship” between Moscow and the Netanyahu government and expressed the hope that the Bennett government will pursue a “continuity policy” in Russia-Israel relations.
Bennett told Putin that Israel regarded him as a “true friend of the Jews” and emphasized the “deep ties” between the two countries.
He praised the contribution of his country’s 1 million Russian speakers, and praised Putin for bringing Israel and Russia closer during his 20-year rule.
Bennett also praised the role of the Soviet Union in defeating the Nazis in World War II and talked about a new museum in Israel to commemorate the Jewish soldiers who fought in the Allied forces (mainly the Red Army). Putin cherishes his country’s decisive contribution to the victory of this war.
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