Defense Minister Ehud Barak paid a 24-hour visit to Russia Monday, meeting visit with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. The contents of the talks are not being publicized, but it was announced that Russia agreed to buy Israeli military equipment.
The 90-minute meeting took place in Putin’s official residence. Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov was also present.
The talks are assumed to have centered on Iran's nuclear program and Russia’s role in fueling the Bushehr reactor, Russian arms sales to Damascus and Tehran, and on combating extreme Islamist terrorist groups.
Serdvukov’s spokesperson said the two defense ministers were planning to sign an agreement on military cooperation “that will regulate cooperation between the two countries in the military sphere over the next five years.” The agreement stipulates that Russia and Israel will exchange experiences and information "in the spheres of mutual interest, including international security," she said.
It was announced afterwards that Russia had purchased 12 Israeli unmanned aerial vehicles, and that some 50 servicemen are being trained to operate them.