Mr. Shamir elaborated further on the nature and significance of the proposed U.S.Israel strategic cooperation, without going into details. Excerpts:
Mr. Shamir: The strategic cooperation will be concrete and real, barring unforeseen obstacles. Anyway, according to what was concluded and agreed, serious cooperation must begin in a number of areas.
Q: What is meant specifically?
A: There has been a certain degree of cooperation over the years. This time it will become more concrete. It will have to be worked out in meetings of the Ministers of Defense, by teams of experts. For example, it will be expressed in services offered by Israel in its ports to U.S. ships, in services offered by Israel in its defense industry to U.S. planes. All this will of course give Israel significant economic benefits. Israel will manufacture spare parts for American weapons. Israel will have depots for American weapons and ammunition which will benefit us in an emergency, if and when it occurs. Many possibilities were discussed: They have to be examined...
Q: You have no doubt that these programs will indeed be carried out.
A: From what can be seen from the attitude of our American counterparts from the conclusions reached in principle, from the arrangements to be made in forthcoming meetings to be held in November, in the very near future, I assume that these matters are serious and that they will really open a new era of cooperation and shared interests between Israel and the U.S.
Q: Despite the cooperation with the U.S., there are still other countries in the world with which we have many ties. Do you believe that the military agreement with the U.S. will have implications for the way they will view Israel?
A: Doubtless there is also political value to this improvement in relations between us and the U.S., also with regard to other countries in the world. As the friendship between Israel and the U.S. grows stronger, as Israel's importance in American considerations grows, so will Israel's weight grow in the eyes of other international elements. And I'm sure that in my meetings with many foreign ministers at the United Nations General Assembly and during my visits in Latin America I will notice this improvement.