“The Israeli government is accommodating us by returning to Russia holy sites that we value very much, and we are immensely grateful to our Israeli friends for that,” Putin said, receiving Israeli President Reuven Rivlin at the Kremlin.
He also mentioned a growing number of pilgrims from Russia traveling to holy sites.
Putin mentioned the special relations between Russia and Israel, which are being developed “on the basis of friendship, mutual understanding, and a long common history.”