BEIT HORON, Israel. Jan 23 (Interfax) - Russian Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev and Israeli Border Patrol (Magav) Commander Amos Yaakov have agreed on cooperation exchange of the two agencies' special purpose subdivisions.
"We are considering development along the special purpose subdivisions of the Russian Interior Ministry and Israeli police. It should be promising. Our ministry has a department ensuring the operations of special purpose and air subdivisions. We would like to introduce close contact and exchange work experience. We are interested in how our special purpose units hold operations on releasing hostages, taking out terrorists and ensuring security and order at large-scale events," Kolokoltsev said.
Kolokoltsev said he proposed Israeli colleagues to take short-term additional training courses on anti-terrorist protection of transport infrastructure facilities.
Representatives of Israeli police said they accepted the offer and proposed to send a Russian special purpose unit to Israel to get training on work methods of the Israeli special purpose subdivisions.
Kolokoltsev also invited Yaakov to attend the Interpolytech annual international exhibition of means to ensure state security.
The Russian minister has toured the base of the Magav special purpose units and watched their work on releasing hostages and dealing with terrorists.
Kolokoltsev is on a three-day working visit in Israel. This is the first visit of the Russian interior minister to Israel in the past 13 years.