Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin met here this week with top German leaders to discuss financial assistance to Israel as well as Bonn’s involvement in the Middle East peace process.
Rabin met Monday afternoon with Chancellor Helmut Kohl for a discussion of Israeli requests for financial assistance, better access to the European market and enhanced military cooperation, German news reports said.
The prime minister later paid a short visit to German President Richard von Weizsacker and was scheduled to meet as well with Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel.
A more lengthy discussion of the peace process and German-Israeli relations was to take place at a dinner with Kohl, attended also by four top aides for each leader.
Israeli diplomats in Bonn have over the past few days stressed Jerusalem’s interest in an enhanced role for Europe in the multilateral Middle East peace talks. They said Europe’s interest in a stable Middle East can best be best served by diplomatic involvement and economic assistance for countries engaged in serious negotiations.
The recent wave of violence against foreigners in Germany is likely to come up at the talks, Israel’s ambassador to Bonn said Monday. But Israel is confident the German government will do its utmost to cope with the problem, he said.
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