DM Monitoring
MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin has hosted new Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett for the pair’s first in-person meeting, with talks focused on Iran and the situation in Syria. Welcoming Bennett at the start of their meeting on Friday in Russia’s Black Sea resort of Sochi, Putin hailed Russian-Israeli ties as “unique” and praised the “very deep connection between our peoples”.
Russia and Israel have developed close political, economic and cultural bonds. They have cooperated over the war in Syria, during which Moscow teamed up with Tehran to shore up Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s rule.
“We will talk about the situation in Syria, and the efforts to halt the Iranian military nuclear programme,” Bennett said in Sochi. Putin said that Russia, which launched its military campaign in Syria in 2015, has been “making efforts” to restore the country’s statehood and strengthen it.
There was “common ground and opportunities for cooperation” with Israel concerning the situation there, he said, especially “in terms of the fight against terrorism”. Bennett was named Israel’s new premier on June 13, replacing former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Bennett has said his politics are further to the right than his predecessor’s.
Israel views Iranian entrenchment on its northern frontier as a red line and has repeatedly struck what it says are Iran-linked facilities.
