Finance Minister Yair Lapid Meets with Canadian Public Safety Minister
Steven Blaney
(Communicated by the Finance Minister's Media Adviser)

Finance Minister Yair Lapid, this afternoon (Monday, 15 September 2014), in
Tel Aviv, met with Canadian Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
Minister Steven Blaney. The two men signed a Declaration of Intent between
the Canadian Border Services Agency and the Israel Tax Authority on Mutual
Recognition of the Authorized Economic Operator Program.

Finance Minister Lapid opened the meeting by welcoming Minister Blaney to
Israel and said, "We know that Canada is a true friend and your visit will
strengthen further the cooperation between our two countries. We share the
same moral values and unfortunately now we can all see that we share the
same threat. Israel is faced with Hamas in the south, Hezbollah in the north
and now ISIS advancing from the east. We are dependent on the strength of
our military and the strength of our economy to withstand these threats. We
are not here just to survive but to thrive and we must also be open to
opportunities. We must move to find a solution for Gaza based on a regional
framework, through a regional summit which includes all the key partners
including Canada. For progress to be made we must ensure that rehabilitation
occurs alongside demilitarization. We are strengthened and encouraged by the
support of our allies, and in particularly with Canada which stands
steadfast by our side"

Minister Lapid continued and said, "Today we will build on our already
excellent relations in a field which is strong between us and that is our
tax and customs administrations. Although customs agreements rarely grab the
headlines, it is exactly this sort of cooperation which facilitates economic
growth through trade. Today, the signing of a Declaration of Intent between
the Canadian Border Services Agency and the Israel Tax Authority, on Mutual
Recognition of Authorized Economic Operator Program, is a natural step
forward. This agreement addresses our mutual interests and strengthens the
commitment of our two nations to prosperity and security."

Minister Blaney thanked Minister Lapid for the warm welcome and said, "It's
a privilege to be here today for the first time in my life in the Middle
East. I had the privilege to visit the Holy City of Jerusalem, as a
Christian it's been a moving experience and very impressive to see the
development occurring in the State of Israel. It certainly is a journey and
hopefully I'll have an opportunity to come back and discover more. We value
our relationship with Israel and as Public Safety Minister I'm glad to be
here to move forward with additional commitments so we can move forward to
increase business, facilitate trade and commerce in a safe environment. This
declaration will increase the cooperation and allow us to improve trade and
security. Canada and Israel have a strong trade relationship and I look
forward to the complete agreement."