Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Wednesday morning met in his Tel Aviv office with US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta.

The following statement was released to the media by Mr. Barak’s staff following the meeting:

“It is always a pleasure to host Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta here in Israel, and we are pleased as always to see him here. The relationship between Israel and America in the security field is stronger and tighter than ever, and without doubt, much of the credit for this belongs to Secretary Panetta.

“We are looking forward to the discussions with Secretary Panetta, who has not only been a personal friend of mine for many years, but also a true friend to the State of Israel.

“I am confident that the visit will be productive and thought-provoking. Israel and the US have many shared interests, and we will certainly be busy; there is much to discuss.”

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)