MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Timerman in Israel to rebuild relations deteriorated because of Iran accord

The Argentine minister attended the main Holocaust Day ceremony

Argentine Foreign Minister Héctor Timerman began a two-day visit to Israel on Monday that aims to strengthen the diplomatic ties weakened last year after the signature in Buenos Aires of the memorandum of understanding with Iran for the investigation of AMIA bombing.

 Timerman attended the ceremony in commemoration of the victims of the Holocaust at Museum Yad Vashem in Jerusalem -at the start of Israel’s 24-hour observance of Holocaust Remembrance Day- before meeting with his counterpart Avigdor Lieberman and Israeli President Simon Peres.

“It’s a very moving moment because many relatives of Holocaust survivors live in Argentina,” Timerman said. He was one of the few foreign high-level officials in the ceremony and he was among the firsts to lay a floral tribute.

Remembrance Day began Sunday at 8 p.m with President Peres’ remarks, followed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech. Then, six Holocaust survivors -representing the 6 million Jewish victims of the Nazis- lighted torches in the victims’ memories.

The meeting with Peres addressed Iran’s nuclear program and the peace talks with the Palestinian Authority as some of the main topics in the agenda.

On Tuesday Timerman will meet with different Israeli NGO leaders and Minister of Justice Tzipi Livni.