Russian President Vladimir Putin will make his first visit to the
Middle East on Monday with a quick two-day journey to Israel and
Jordan. Putin is scheduled to hold a meeting with Prime Minister
Netanyahu in the afternoon -the bulk of the visit will be symbolic:
the dedication of a monument to the Red Army for its victory over Nazi
Germany, a state dinner with President Shimon Peres and a visit to
Bethlehem. The focus of the Netanyahu- Putin talks is expected to be
on Iran and Syria, where the two countries differ in opinion.
