John Baird
John BairdCredit: Foreign Ministry

Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird met on Tuesday with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and President Shimon Peres in talks that Israel and Canada said were 'positive.' The talks, Netanyahu and Peres said, expressed the close relations between the two countries.

During his meeting with Netanyahu, Baird declared his support of a Jewish state in all parts of the Land of Israel. Baird said that the Jewish nation was in charge of its own destiny.

Netanyahu and Baird discussed the situation in Syria, the Iranian nuclear program, international terror, and talks with the Palestinian Authority. Baird volunteered Canada's services in moving talks with the PA along, and Netanyahu enthusiastically endorsed the talks.

During his meeting with Baird, Peres praised Canada for breaking off relations with Iran, saying that it was an “act of bravery, Canada took a clear stand against the greatest danger of our time, and this shows its courage. We greatly appreciate it."

Peres and Baird also discussed the restart of talks with the PA. “I remember clearly the Oslo Accords, and the stance Canada took on the refugee issue,” Peres said. “Canada can be a central player in the talks today as well."