Netanyahu to meet Putin to improve coordination on Syria

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday said he will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow to strengthen the coordination of both countries' armies in Syria.

The meeting will be held on Thursday, according to a statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office, Xinhua reported.

Speaking at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting, Netanyahu said the meeting is aimed to "prevent friction between the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) and the Russian army."

The Prime Minister said the meeting will focus also on Israel's efforts to prevent Iran from entrenching itself in Syria.

"These talks are very important and part of our ongoing effort to ensure the freedom of action of the State of Israel against Iran and its proxies," Netanyahu said, charging that Iran has "declared its intention to use Syria as a frontline in their struggle to destroy Israel."

Earlier in February, Netanyahu met with a delegation of senior Russian officials in Jerusalem to discuss "strengthening the security coordination mechanism between the militaries to prevent possible friction in Syria."

Israel has acknowledged carrying out hundreds of deadly airstrikes in Syria, saying that they targeted on Iranian sites and weapons' convoys to Hezbollah, an Iran-backed Lebanese militia.

--IANS

pgh/