Israeli PM Netanyahu to travel to Moscow to meet Putin

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will travel to Moscow next week to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss a range of issues of mutual importance.

Netanyahu's office said on Friday that the two leaders will discuss the ongoing conflicts in the region, including the war in Syria and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

In Syria both countries maintain a communications mechanism they set up to ensure their air forces did not clash or accidentally fire upon each other in Syria's congested air space.

The meeting will be the first between the two since Russia pulled out some of its forces from Syria last month, a move which surprised Israel at the time.

The Israeli Prime Ministers visit comes as Russia begins to implement the delivery of advanced S-300 air defense missile systems to Iran, a sale which Israel opposes.

Netanyahu has also been concerned that the Hezbollah militia will get their hands on hi-tech Russian-made missiles in Syria, something Israel is staunchly opposed to and has taken preemptive measures, via targeted airstrikes into Syria, to prevent.