MOSCOW, April 22. /TASS/. Israeli media reports of Russian fighter jets in Syria allegedly opening fire at Israel’s aircraft are far-fetched, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday.
"I don’t want to comment on the Israeli press. The Israeli press’s reports in this case are far from reality," the presidential spokesman said, commenting on the publications in Israel’s newspapers.
When asked about the specific themes discussed during a recent meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Kremlin spokesman said that both leaders had focused on Syria and the Middle East as a whole and bilateral trade and economic cooperation.
"The meeting was very useful and very substantive. It comprised three formats: a narrow-format meeting, negotiations at the level of delegations and a tete-a-tete talk," the Kremlin spokesman said.
The Israeli newspaper Yediot Aharanot earlier claimed that Russian fighter jets involved in Russia’s anti-terrorist operation in Syria opened fire twice at Israeli aircraft. However, the newspaper gave no dates of the incidents or information sources.
According to the Israeli newspaper, the meeting between the Russian president and Israel’s prime minster presumably took place amid reports that Russian fighter jets opened fire on Israeli aircraft at least twice.
Russian position on Golan Heights unchanged
As for Russia’s position on the Middle East settlement, including the Golan Heights, it has not changed, Peskov went on to say.
"The Russian position does not change, is in compliance with the corresponding resolutions of the [UN] Security Council and has no new aspects," Peskov told reporters.
Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu said at a meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Thursday that the Golan Heights will remain part of Israel’s sovereign territory.