Israeli, Russian security chiefs discuss closer cooperation

At the meeting in Moscow on Tuesday between Eyal Hulata, incoming head of Israel’s National Security Council, and his Russian counterpart Nikolai Patrushev, “views were exchanged on the situation in the Middle East and the resolution of certain regional conflicts,” the Kremlin reported. Patrushev congratulated Hulata on his appointment and “expressed the hope for continuity in Russian-Israeli contacts in the area of security,” the Kremlin reported. The communique went on to “reiterate plans for further expansion of Russian-Israeli cooperation and detailed discussion of cooperation between the security councils and special services, with the focus on combating terrorism,” Outgoing security chief Meir Ben Shabbat thanked Russia for “fruitful cooperation on the most pressing problems on the international and regional agenda.
DEBKAfile reports that in the background of Hulata’s Moscow mission was were the Kremlin’s apparent objections to the frequency of Israel’s air strikes against Iranian military targets in Syria following the change of governments in Jerusalem.