Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed Wednesday to prevent Iran from securing a lasting presence in Syria as he visited Moscow for talks focusing on regional security.
For Netanyahu, it was the first trip to Moscow since September's downing of a Russian warplane by Syrian forces that were responding to an Israeli air strike. The incident left 15 Russian crew dead and threatened to derail close security ties between Russia and Israel.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said at the start of Wednesday's talks that "it's very important to discuss the situation in the region and security issues."
He added that the high-level consultations are essential in view of the evolving situation.
Netanyahu began the talks by reaffirming Israel's strong determination to block attempts by Iran to establish a foothold in Syria.
"The greatest threat to stability and security in the region comes from Iran and its satellites," he said.
"We are determined to continue with our aggressive action against the efforts of Iran, which calls for our destruction and against its attempts to entrench militarily in Syria."
Moscow has played a delicate diplomatic game of maintaining friendly ties with both Israel and Iran. Last summer, Moscow struck a deal with Tehran to keep its fighters away from the Golan Heights to accommodate Israeli concerns about the Iranian presence in Syria.
Netanyahu noted that he and Putin have had 11 meetings since September 2015 and hailed "the direct, open and true way in which we maintain the relationship between Russia and Israel."
"The direct connection between us has been an essential element that has prevented risks and conflicts between our militaries and that has contributed to regional security and stability," the Israeli leader said.
Netanyahu congratulated Putin on the military holiday Russia marked last weekend and invited him to visit Israel to attend the opening of a monument to the Nazi siege of Leningrad during World War II.
"We will never forget the role of Russia and the Red Army in the victory over the Nazis," he said.
Putin, a native of the city, accepted the offer. The Russian Embassy in Israel tweeted confirmation of his attendance although no date has been set.
Netanyahu praised "excellent bilateral relations," noting "more than one million Russian speakers who have made a great contribution to Israel, have turned into a part of us and have made Russian culture a part of Israeli culture."
Speaking after the meeting, Netanyahu said that relations between Israel and Russia following the fighter jet incident had not been discussed.
"We talked about the main issues of interest to us, mostly Iran – and its attempts to base itself in Syria. We went into great detail on that issue and showed examples of that entrenchment as well as the steps we [Israel] are taking to prevent it," Netanyahu said.
Netanyahu said that Putin had been presented with various intelligence findings about Iran and Syria.
"I always make it clear that we will continue to maintain Israeli freedom of action that we retain as part of our right to self-defense against actors who want to gain a foothold in Syria and I'm saying this publicly in the most honest way possible, as well as in closed-door talks.
Netanyahu said that Putin had expressed an understanding of Israel's defense needs.
