Barak commends German cooperation on Iran

In meeting with Defense Minister, German FM says sanctions on Iran are preventative, expresses faith that they will work.

By TAMARA ZIEVE
Ehud Barak, Guido Westerwelle 390 (photo credit: Ariel Harmony / Defense Ministry)
Ehud Barak, Guido Westerwelle 390
(photo credit: Ariel Harmony / Defense Ministry)
Defense Minister Ehud Barak commended Germany's stance on Iran in a meeting with German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle on Thursday.
"We are very grateful for the German stance on Iran... that was expressed through the intensification of sanctions against the Iranian regime in recent weeks... We hope this will continue," the defense minister said.
The goal of this diplomatic activity is preventative, "and we think it will work," Westerwelle said of the sanctions.
Barak welcomed Westerwelle to Israel, and wished him a successful visit.
"Israel and Germany have a special relationship, affected both by the memory of the past and the outlook to the future," said Barak. He spoke of the values shared by the two countries and of Germany's recognition of its "unique role" in strengthening Israeli security.
On Wednesday, Westerwelle signed an agreement granting 10 million euros to the Yad Vashem Holocaust museum over the next decade.
According to the agreement, the German government will transfer one million euros to Yad Vashem every year for the next 10 years. The Education Ministry stated that the agreement reflects the will of the German government to support Yad Vashem's activities, which include collecting archival documentation, research and education in Israel and the world.
Education Minister Gideon Sa'ar thanked Westerwelle, saying that the agreement constitutes an important source of funding. He stated that the grant will be used to expand Yad Vashem's activities and to locate and purchase significant Holocaust documents from archives in Europe, making them accessible to the public via the Internet.