Israeli, Russian senior officials discuss efforts to combat COVID-19
Meir Ben-Shabbat and Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev held a discussion over the phone regarding efforts for combating the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
By JERUSALEM POST STAFFRussian President Vladimir Putin wearing protective gear walks at a hospital for patients infected with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on the outskirts of Moscow, Russia March 24, 2020.(photo credit: SPUTNIK/ALEXEI DRUZHININ/KREMLIN VIA REUTERS)
Head of the National Security Council (NSC) Meir Ben-Shabbat and Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev held a discussion over the phone regarding efforts for combating the spread of the coronavirus as well as international security issues, according to a report by the Russian News Agency TAAS on Friday, citing a press release by the Russian Security Council's press service."The sides discussed a number of issues of Russian-Israeli cooperation in the sphere of security and exchanged view on the international situation. Special attention was focused on issues of combating the coronavirus infection," the press release noted.The press release also mentioned that Ben-Shabbat and Patrushev discussed the importance of remembering the events of World War II, with Ben-Shabbat noting the significance of the Victory Parade that took place in Russia on June 24, and reassuring his Russian counterpart that Israel stays committed to its policy of preserving the memory of World War II," according to the press release. Ben-Shabbat was appointed head of the NSC in 2017, becoming the 10th person to hold the position since its establishment in 1999. The last NSC adviser, Yosef Meir Cohen, left the post in 2016 to head the Mossad. He spent 28 years working for the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency), including as the head of its southern division, which is responsible for the Gaza Strip. He has also been in charge of its antiterrorism, anti-espionage and cyber divisions.Ben-Shabbat and Patrushev previously met in Moscow in November 2019. That meeting included military officials from both sides and focused on issues relating to Syria and Iran. Earlier, in June 2019, the two met in a trilateral meeting with then-national security adviser John Bolton.Tovah Lazaroff contributed to this article.
