On Wednesday, February 15, commencing at 6:40 p.m. for around 35 minutes, Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda received a courtesy call from Mr. Ehud Barak, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, Israel, who is visiting Japan. The overview of the meeting is as follows.

1. Prime Minister Noda stated his hope to further deepen bilateral cooperation between Japan and Israel, given Israel's position as a major country in the Middle East and considering in particular that this year is the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. He also expressed his gratitude for the support provided by Israel after the Great East Japan Earthquake, including the dispatch of a medical assistance team. Furthermore, he stated that the recent attacks against Israeli people including diplomats were unforgivable.
   
   
2. Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Barak said that he was pleased to be visiting Japan during the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, and remarked that he hoped to deepen cooperation in a variety of fields. Additionally, he said that he personally had given instructions to provide support to Japan, commenting the people of the world had been moved by the self-restraint and of the Japanese people at the time of the Great East Japan Earthquake.
   
   
3. Regarding the Iranian nuclear issue, Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Barak emphasized the importance of the international community to take stringent measures through its close cooperation. In response, Prime Minister Noda stated that Japan shared the grave concerns of the international community over the Iranian nuclear issue, and said that he intends to continuously work with the international community based on "the dual-track approach" of dialogue and pressure. He further pointed out that it is important to solve the matter in a diplomatic and peaceful manner, and that a military response is considered to be an extremely dangerous option as it would escalate the situation.