Putin noted that the legal predecessor of his country, the Soviet Union, was present at the time of the birth of the State of Israel. He noted that he assumed the largest Russian-speaking community across the border lived in Israel.
The Russian president has so far described the volume of bilateral trade and economic relations as modest, but as he said, the region is developing successfully and has grown by 50 percent in the first seven months of this year. He said that special attention is given to cooperation in the field of advanced technologies.
Putin expressed his hope that the Bennett government, regardless of internal political battles, would maintain the continuity of bilateral relations. He stated that he had a working and somewhat reliable relationship with former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He added that he was happy to see Bennett.
The Russian president mentioned the fight against terrorism in Syria and the exchange of views on the situation in the Middle East as topics for talks.
At the meeting, Bennett described Putin as a close and true friend of Israel. According to the Israeli Prime Minister, trade between the two countries can be significantly increased. In addition to the economic aspect, he also spoke about the possibility of deepening scientific and cultural cooperation.
He said that Israel remembers the heroism of the Red Army that allowed victory over Nazi Germany. Following the meeting, the Israeli Government Office issued a statement saying that the talks took place for five hours in a friendly and positive atmosphere, and that the two sides reviewed many important issues in bilateral relations. According to a report provided by RIA Novostyi, the two leaders went to the balcony of the Russian presidential residence after exchanging views and taking a walk in the park.
As Prime Minister, Bennett made his first official visit to Putin to mark the 30th anniversary of the full resumption of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Cover photo source: MTI / Yevgeny Bijatov
