Results of Avigdor Lieberman's visit
The Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman completed his visit to Moscow at the end of last week by having talks with Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. The Russian Prime Minister described Israel as "a priority partner in the Middle East" and promised to visit the Jewish state next year. One of the topics he plans to discuss during his visit is Russian gas supplies to Israel. The Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman arrived in Moscow to attend the 7th session of the Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation. One of the main outcomes of the meeting was progress in solving the problem of an air link between southern Russia and Israel. Last June flights to Israel from Rostov-on-Don, Krasnodar and Sochi were suspended because Russia had banned armed Israeli security guards from entering these airports. The Israelis accused Russia of unfair competition and banned the flights of Russian airlines from southern Russia.
According to Kommersant's information, the Israeli domestic security service, Shabak, which is in charge of flight security should settle the issue with its Russian counterparts by next spring so that Israeli airlines could resume flights to Southern Russia. The Israeli authorities are expected to allow Russian airlines into the country still earlier. The concession does not come as a surprise. Israel pins great hopes on the Russian regions. In spite of the crisis, the number of Russian tourists visiting the Holy Land will hit a record 400,000 this year. One major reason for this is the cancellation of the visa regime between our countries. Neta Peleg-Briskin, a tourism advisor at the Israeli Embassy in Moscow, told Kommersant that an average Russian tourist leaves about $1500 in Israel during one trip. In 2010 the number of Russians visiting Israel may reach half a million, bringing about $750 million to the Israeli budget. Much of the tourist traffic will hopefully come from the Russian regions.
Although no important documents or contracts emerged from the meeting of the Russian-Israeli Intergovernmental Commission, the two parties noted positive developments in bilateral cooperation. This was reaffirmed during the Friday meeting between Avigdor Lieberman and the Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. Eyewitnesses say that the two men talked in Russian and were obviously pleased with each other. "We are happy that people from the former USSR are building such brilliant careers," Putin flattered Lieberman, stressing that the numerous Russian-speaking community in Israel "unites us more than any other two countries in the world."
The Russian Prime Minister plans to visit Israel next year. One of the topics on the agenda of the visit will be Russian gas supplies to Israel. According to Kommersant's information, Moscow views this project above all as a serious political step which will not only help to bring Israel and Russia closer together, but will enable Russia to play a more important role in the Middle East as a whole. However, there are many snags in the way of the gas project. One problem is that Israel's gas industry is fully privatised and that one of the key players in it is the Israeli Electrical Company. The state has a stake in it, but Gazprom will have to initiate talks on gas supplies with the company's management and not with the government. That said, experts believe that mutual understanding at the high political level between the two countries may play the key role in the gas talks.
Alexander Reutov