Mr Barak expressed his most sincere thanks to the Russian President and all those who involved with freeing of Adi Sharon, a teenage Israeli native taken hostage by a criminal gang. Mr Barak noted that the ending of that tragic episode evoked the best feelings in Israel.
Mr Putin and Mr Barak discussed further steps to take care of the boy.
At Mr Barak’s request, Mr Putin described the progress of the counter-terrorist operation in Chechnya. The Israeli Prime Minister wished Russia success in wiping out militant groups closely connected with international terrorism.
Mr Putin and Mr Barak also discussed Middle East settlement. Mr Barak informed of his Thursday talks in Lisbon with the US President on this subject. He wished success to the upcoming Russian-American summit, which is of fundamental importance for the international community, he said.