Moscow, July 23. /TASS/. Russian top diplomat Sergey Lavrov is setting off for a visit to Israel on Monday in order to discuss relations between the two countries and the situation in the region, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

"Sergey Lavrov is setting off to Israel to discuss the situation in the region and bilateral relations," the statement reads.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said earlier at a cabinet meeting that he would meet with Lavrov and Chief of the General Staff Army General Valery Gerasimov on Monday to discuss issues concerning the Syrian conflict.

The Russian president and the Israeli prime minister held a meeting in Moscow on July 11, which Netanyahu described as "very important." Netanyahu told Putin that Israel strongly opposed Iran’s presence in Syria. At the same time, he said that Israeli-Russian talks provided an opportunity to enhance security and the level of trust in the Middle East.

On July 17, US President Donald Trump said at a meeting with lawmakers that the US, Russia and Israel had launched trilateral talks regarding the Syria issue and Israel’s security.