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PM Netanyahu meets Russian counterpart in Jerusalem, discuss regional challenges

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, who is on a three day visit to Israel, met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem last night, during which the two marked 25 years of diplomatic ties between the two countries. During their meeting, Netanyahu and Medvedev discussed economic issues, the ongoing war in Israel’s northern neighbor, Syria, as well as the need to stop nuclear proliferation.

“We are partners in the battle against extreme Islam’s terror. Israel and Russia and the United States and many other countries partner with the aim of demolishing ISIS (Islamic State). I think that cooperation among all those I mentioned who share this goal will benefit each and every one of us and will benefit humankind.” / “The Russian Federation is against nuclear weapons proliferation. Naturally through combined efforts – here our position is open to all states that are ready to co-operate and with all states that are interested – we have to destroy the nucleus of terrorism, which is now embodied in Daesh or ISIS,” said the Israeli leader. With regard to regional challenges, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had two prime objectives, “to prevent Iran from reaching a nuclear weapon and to prevent Iran from establishing itself militarily in Syria.

“We are determined to do two things: one is to prevent Iran from reaching nuclear weapon, and the second is to prevent Iran — regardless of the situation in Syria, with or without a settlement — from establishing itself militarily in Syria, on land, in the air or at sea,” said Medvedev. This afternoon, the Russian Prime Minister travelled to the West Bank city of Jericho where he met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. The two discussed various issues related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, including a Russian proposal to host a direct meeting between Abbas and Netanyahu.