Russian Presidential Envoy for the Middle East and North Africa and Deputy Foreign Minister, Mikhail Bogdanov, and the leader of the Knesset opposition and Chair of the Zionist Camp party MK Isaac Herzog met in Moscow on Tuesday to discuss the situation in Syria and the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian Authority conflict, the Russian Foreign Ministry reported.
“During the conversation – attended by Knesset Deputy Speaker Hilik Bar, and Israeli Ambassador to Moscow Gary Koren, the parties discussed in detail pressing issues related to further development of the entire array of bilateral Russian-Israeli relations, including maintaining intense political dialogue,” the ministry noted. “In light of this, the exchange of views on the key issues of the Middle East agenda focused on the situation in and around Syria and the Israeli-Palestinian settlement.”
Earlier in the day, MK Herzog met with Leonid Slutsky, head of Russia’s State Duma (the lower house of parliament) International Affairs Committee.
Herzog posted on his Facebook page on Monday: “Leaving now on a 36-hour state visit in Russia, one of the most powerful countries in the world in general and the Middle East in particular, as a direct extension of my meeting with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev last November in Jerusalem, and by invitation of the foreign committee of the Duma-Parliament and the Russian government.
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“I will reiterate Israel’s demand to prevent at all cost transferring to Hezbollah weapons that had been provided to Syria, as well as to prevent Hezbollah from acquiring positions in the Syrian Golan heights. It would mean the crossing of a red line which Israel could not abide.
“I Also I intend to focus on the Palestinian issue and meet up with the Jewish community and its institutions.”