Minister of Foreign Affairs Gabi Ashkenazi, who is on an official visit to the Russian Federation, met this morning (Wednesday, 17 March 2021) with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Sergey Lavrov.

The two discussed bilateral relations and regional issues. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the renewal of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

FM Ashkenazi: “Russia is a key player in the Middle East and plays a significant and important role in regional stability. We deeply appreciate the position of President Vladimir Putin and that of the leadership of the Russian Federation in its support of Israel, and the public commitment to Israel’s security that has been expressed repeatedly in various forums. A fruitful dialogue based on common interests and cooperation on issues of national security has been conducted between Israel and Russia in recent years. I see great importance in this dialogue between us.”

FM Ashkenazi also referred to the International Criminal Court prosecutor's decision and said: “Several weeks ago, the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court in The Hague published her unfortunate decision to open an investigation against Israel. I hope the whole issue is off the Court's agenda.”