Israeli PM flies to Moscow to meet Putin

JERUSALEM– Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu left on Thursday for Moscow, where he will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Ahead of his departure, he said in a statement that he will discuss with the Russian leader events in Syria and the ongoing and special coordination between the two countries' militaries in the war-torn country.

Israel and Russia coordinate their armies' moves in Syria to avoid clashes. Russian forces fight alongside President Bashar al-Assad's army, and Israel's air force has carried out hundreds of air strikes, saying the attacks aim at Iranian and Hezbollah targets.

Putin and Netanyahu last met in Moscow on Feb. 27. They have talked several times over the phone in the last few months, including on Monday.

The meeting comes five days before Israel's general elections, in which Netanyahu is seeking for a fifth term. Enditem