New National Security Adviser Eyal Hulata met with his Russian counterpart Nikolai Patrushev in Moscow on Tuesday, part of Hulata’s preparation for the job with departing National Security Adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat, who attended as well.
Patrushev “thanked Ben-Shabbat for joint fruitful cooperation on the most important issues of the international and regional agenda,” and “expressed hope for the continuation of... Russian-Israeli contacts in the field of security” with Hulata.
The national security advisers discussed continued cooperation, emphasizing countering international terrorism, as well as regional Middle East issues.
Israel and Russia have a deconfliction mechanism, by which Israel warns Russia before the IAF strikes Iranian targets in Syria, where Russia has a significant military presence. At the same time, Russia has provided Syria with advanced air defense systems.
Also Tuesday, President Isaac Herzog met with Russian Ambassador to Israel Anatoly Viktorov.
Herzog said that cooperation between Israel and Russia “is of great importance to us, as is the deep connection between our nations. We value cooperation with President [Vladimir] Putin on different topics, and are grateful for the willingness to help on solving the issue of captives and missing soldiers.”
Russia helped recover the body of IDF soldier Zachary Baumel from Syria in 2019, 37 years after he was declared missing during the Lebanon War.