NOVO-OGARYOVO (Sputnik) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he arrived in Moscow to express his position on international issues and avoid contradictions with Russia.
“It’s very important to come here in order to explain our position and do everything so there are no misunderstandings of our region or yours,” Netanyahu said during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin outside Moscow.
#BREAKING: #Moscow: #Netanyahu & #Putin started in the Kremlin pic.twitter.com/wfYDTSOsuP
— Amichai Stein (@AmichaiStein1) September 21, 2015
Netanyahu stressed the fact that even though Russia and Israel did not see eye to eye, the two countries are still able to respect one another.
“In all of our contacts that have been between us, even when we agreed with each other or even when we didn’t quite fully agree with one another, the dialogue between us will always have the atmosphere of mutual respect and I’m sure that it will be the same this time,” Netanyahu told Putin.
“And that’s how it will be, my esteemed Mr. Prime Minister, and you should have no doubts about that,” Putin told Netanyahu in response.
Israeli Prime Minister also expressed his opinion that Iran is backing the Syrian military and attempting to create a second terrorist front against Israel in the Golan Heights and it is important that weapons do not fall into the hands of the Hezbollah extremist group.
“Our policy is to do everything in order to stop arms deliveries to Hezbollah and to do everything possible to stop the opening of a second front against us in the Golan Heights,” Netanyahu said.
Putin reassured Netanyahu, saying that “in regard to Syria, we both understand that the Syrian Army and Syria itself is in no position to open a ‘second front’ as they should be saving their own statehood.”
Moscow has been implementing efforts to settle various conflicts in the Middle East.
“We never forget that a lot of immigrants from the former Soviet Union live in Israel, which impacts our bilateral relations. All of Russia's actions in the region have always been and will be very responsible,” Putin said.
Russia's president expressed his understanding for Israel’s concerns and that he was glad Netanyahu had visited Moscow.
Netanyahu's visit to Moscow is the first meeting with the Russian president since November 2013, when the Israeli prime minister appeared set on stalling the Iran nuclear deal or at least tightening its conditions.
Jerusalem and Moscow have different points of view on a number of issues, including the Iran nuclear deal, reached by Tehran and a group of international negotiators including Russia, on July 14. Netanyahu called the deal, which eases international sanctions against Tehran in return for the country scaling back its nuclear program, "a historic mistake."
In late July, Putin reassured Netanyahu in a telephone conversation that the Iran deal established effective safeguards for controlling Tehran's nuclear program. The sides agreed to join efforts in combating Islamic State militants in the Middle East.
