Israel and West Germany are discussing various avenues of scientific and techno- logical cooperation including establishment of a joint German-Israel industrial group which each government would assist in research to develop products that could be marketed commercially.
Gideon Patt, Israel’s Minister for Science and Development, spoke to reporters after a meeting with his German counterpart, Heine Riesenhuber. He said the amount of aid and the timing would depend on the results of the research. But this was only one of three major areas of scientific cooperation they discussed, Patt said.
He said the two countries are considering a meeting between German and Israeli experts to develop pilot projects to demonstrate how various industries could benefit from the allocation of resources to research. Also on the agenda was the possibility of creating a joint foundation which would make available financial assistance to industries conducting research.
Riesenhuber told Patt that before proceeding, the legal and financial implications have to be studied. The two ministers also discussed possible participation by their respective countries in the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), popularly known as “Star Wars” which the Reagan Administration claims will provide a defensive shield against nuclear attack, based in outer space.
Patt said the issue of cooperation in the field of nuclear research was not discussed during his visit. He is scheduled to meet with the Prime Ministers of two federal states — Bernhard Vogel of Rhineland Palatinate and Franz-Josef Strauss of Bavaria.
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