MOSCOW, February 10. /TASS/. Russian Defense Minister Army General Sergei Shoigu and Israeli Deputy Prime Minister, Defense Minister Benny Gantz held a phone talk to discuss bilateral interaction in ensuring stability in the Middle East, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported on Wednesday.

"The sides discussed the issues of Russian-Israeli interaction in ensuring stability in the Middle East region," the ministry said.

The phone talk was held on the Israeli side’s initiative, it specified.

The defense chiefs of both countries previously held a phone talk in July last year. At that time, the sides also discussed possible prospects of bilateral military cooperation and the situation in the Middle East. As Russia’s Defense Ministry said, both sides reaffirmed their mutual willingness to further develop Russian-Israeli military cooperation.