Jerusalem, 27 October 1997
DM MORDECHAI MEETS RUSSIAN FM PRIMAKOV
(Communicated by Defense Ministry Media Advisor)
Defense Minister Yitzhak Mordechai met today (Monday) 27.10.97, with
Russian Foreign Minister Yevgeni Primakov, in Jerusalem.
Mordechai told Primakov at their two hour meeting that "The Jewish and
Russian peoples together suffered from the Nazi animal during the Second
World War. Now, I ask from you that together we do everything possible so
as not to create another such threat neither in our region, nor in the
whole world."
The Head of Military Intelligence, Major-General Ya'alon, the Defense
Minister's senior aide, David Ivri and Defense Ministry Director-General
Ilan Biran and other senior Defense Ministry and intelligence service
officials participated alongside the Defense Minister.
At the start of the meeting, the Defense Minister thanked Foreign Minister
Primakov for Russia's contributions in founding the State of Israel and
establishing its security, and later for allowing Jews to immigrate to
Israel from the former Soviet Union.
Most of their meeting concentrated on the issue of Russian aid to Iran to
develop long-range ballistic missiles and other non-conventional weapons
systems. The Defense Minister told the Foreign Minister that Israel faces
many threats in the region, but now Israel is particularly concerned by
the developing Iranian threat that could become a threat to the existence
of the state. During the meeting, the defense Minister asked the head of
Military Intelligence to detail to Foreign Minister Primakov the
information held by Israel and other intelligence services regarding
Russian aid to Iran.
The visiting minister promised that his government would examine the new
issues that had been presented to him.
The Defense Minister said that he would be pleased to host his Russian
counterpart soon, and to visit Russia in the future.