France – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stressed the importance of Israeli-Russian military cooperation to prevent “unnecessary accidents” at a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Paris, a Reuters reporter at the talks said.
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Putin, likewise, praised the “mechanism of cooperation” which the two sides had established in relation to Russia’s military operations in Syria.
Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon on Sunday underscored the coordination with Russia that allowed Israel to avoid flare-ups after a Russian warplane operating in Syria strayed into Israeli-controlled airspace. It turned back after the two countries conferred.
Yaalon told Israel Radio that after Russia announced its air campaign in Syria, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, along with his military chief of staff and other officials, met with Russian President Vladimir Putin. He said Israel later opened a channel for coordination with Russia “to prevent misunderstandings.”
He said there has been one incident so far of a Russian plane entering Israeli airspace and it was “immediately corrected in the communications channel.” He didn’t say when it occurred.