JERUSALEM, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday he will depart on Monday for a whirlwind trip to Moscow to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Speaking during his weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, Netanyahu said he intends to discuss with the Russian leader "the various developments in the region."
He said the issues on the agenda include tightening the security coordination between the Israeli military and the Russian army in Syria, and "a series of other issues which are important, and even very important, for Israel's security," he added without elaborating.
Local media also widely reported that Netanyahu, a vocal opponent of the Iran nuclear deal, is expected to raise his demand to cancel the deal also at the upcoming meeting.
Netanyahu's visit will last only five hours, during which he is also expected to attend the opening of an exhibition to mark 75 years to the revolt in the Nazi death camp of Sobibor in the Museum of Judaism and Tolerance in Moscow.
Netanyahu will be joined by Zeev Elkin, a Ukrainian-born and a minister in Netanyahu's coalition in charge of Jerusalem affairs and environmental protection.
Putin and Netanyahu's last meeting was held in Sochi last August, when Netanyahu warned Putin that Iran's attempt to establish a military foothold in Syria poses an international security risk.
The two leaders have met for numerous times since 2015, when Russia started to send military help to Syria, Russia's close ally and Israel's northern neighbor.
Israel has repeatedly asked Putin and other international leaders not to allow Iran to gain a permanent military presence in war-torn Syria.
The meeting comes a few days after Netanyahu met with U.S. President Donald Trump at the Davos Economic Forum last Thursday, their fourth meeting since Trump took office in 2017. During public remarks, Netanyahu thanked Trump for his stance against the nuclear deal and his promise to "fix" the deal.
