Putin, Netanyahu speak bilateral cooperation over phone

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday discussed bilateral cooperation over the phone, according to the Kremlin.

The discussion between Putin and Netanyahu revolved around military cooperation in Syria, the Kremlin said in a statement.

"Issues of Russian-Israeli cooperation on the Syrian track were discussed, taking into account the results of the trilateral meeting of the Security Councils secretaries of Russia, Israel and the U.S. on June 25, 2019. In particular, the importance of further coordination between the military departments was stressed," it said.

Also, Netanyahu offered condolences to Putin over the death of 14 Russian servicemen in a fire on a submersible station in the Barents Sea, it added.

On July 1, a fire broke out on a naval deep-sea research vessel, while the crew was taking biometric measurements. At least 14 servicemen died from inhaling toxic fumes from the fire. Seven of those killed were high-ranking military officers.

In turn, Putin invited Netanyahu to take part in the celebration of the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II.