Israeli ambassador holds meetings in Russian Foreign Ministry, discusses recent events in Syria
MOSCOW. March 17 (Interfax) - Russian deputy foreign ministers Sergei Ryabkov and Mikhail Bogdanov held meetings with new Israeli Ambassador in Moscow Gary Koren, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
Bogdanov and Koren discussed the situation in Syria during the meeting. "The main emphasis during the conversation was placed on the recent events in Syria and around it," the Russian Foreign Ministry said on its website.
The meeting was held at the initiative of the Russian side, the ministry said.
"Several relevant issues of international security were discussed" at the meeting between Koren and Ryabkov, the ministry said.
On March 16, Koren presented his credentials to Russian President Vladimir Putin. At the ceremony of presenting credentials Putin said that during a recent meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu they have agreed to continue contacts on the regional and global issues.
Meanwhile, Israeli newspaper Haazetz reported earlier that the most serious military incident since the outbreak of the armed conflict in Syria in 2011 occurred between Israel and Damascus in the early hours of Friday.
Israeli Air Force planes delivered strikes at several targets in Syria in the small hours of Friday, the press service for the Israeli Defense Forces said.
At that, when planes already returned to Israel, several air defense missiles were fired at them, one of missiles was intercepted by Israel's Arrow missile defense system. The system was used in combat for the first time, the local media said.