JERUSALEM, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone on Thursday, a day after a meeting between the two leaders in Moscow was canceled.
"They agreed to hold a working meeting in Russia in the near future," the Israeli office said in a statement, adding the two sides also "discussed regional developments."
The talk was held instead of a planned face-to-face meeting, which was canceled by Netanyahu on Wednesday. Israeli media reported the cancellation was due to domestic political affairs amid efforts to unite forces with other right-wing parties ahead of the elections to be held on April 9.
The meeting was supposed to be Netanyahu's first trip to Moscow since Syrian forces mistakenly intercepted a Russian surveillance plane during an Israeli airstrike. Russia held Israel accountable for the downing of the plane.
Israel and Russia hold a hotline to avoid their air forces from clashing in the Syrian battlefield.
