MOSCOW, March 17. /TASS/. Israel may resume flights to and from Russia in a few weeks, the country’s Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi said in an exclusive interview with TASS First Deputy Director General Mikhail Gusman.

"I think we will open [the country] in a few weeks. There is a flight between Tel Aviv and Moscow that should be resumed, and we also hope to resume other flights as soon as possible," he pointed out.

The Israeli government earlier gave permission for the resumption of flights suspended in late January, starting on March 16, but maintained the daily quota of 3,000 arrivals. On March 7, Israel entered the third phase of easing of coronavirus restrictions introduced in December 2020, allowing the country’s citizens and permanent residents to return home from overseas. On February 14, the government’s commission on coronavirus response announced that up to 2,000 Israeli nationals could enter the country every day, and on March 7, foreign citizens were allowed to enter Israel in exceptional cases.

Director of the Israeli Tourism Ministry’s Department in Russia and the CIS Vladimir Shklyar said at a press conference on Monday the Israel expected to start receiving foreign tourists in July.