The Israeli Occupation Prime Minister's Office announced that Naftali Bennett will visit Sochi next week to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The office stated that Bennett and Putin "will discuss a series of diplomatic, security and economic issues of concern to the two countries, as well as important regional issues, foremost of which is the Iranian nuclear program."

Moscow is a party to the 2015 nuclear agreement, which stipulated that lifting international sanctions imposed on the Islamic Republic in return for significantly reducing its nuclear program and providing guarantees that it does not seek to develop a nuclear weapon.

However, the agreement has been threatened with collapse since former US President Donald Trump announced his unilateral withdrawal in 2018, and re-imposed tough sanctions on Iran.

After about a year, Iran reneged on most of its basic obligations under the Vienna Agreement.

US President Joe Biden, who assumed his duties in early 2021, expressed his intention to return to the agreement, provided that Iran returns to respect its obligations under it, and talks are taking place between Iran and major countries with indirect American participation, in an effort to revive the agreement.

The Israeli Occupation opposes the agreement and efforts to revive it, and considers that if Iran acquires nuclear weapons, this will constitute a threat to its existence.

Russia maintains close relations with both the Israeli Occupation and the Palestinians and is a member of the International Quartet on the Middle East along with the United States, the United Nations and the European Union.

Bennett came to power last June after ousting former right-wing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who had held the post for 12 years.

After being sworn in, Putin congratulated Bennett, stressing that Russian-Israeli cooperation would help promote "peace, security and stability in the Middle East."