Minister Lauterbach, I am personally delighted to have you visit Israel. I fondly recall our meeting in Berlin on the eve of your appointment, and it's wonderful to host you here in Israel and continue our cooperation.
Signing this Declaration of Cooperation is a sign of the friendship between the Israeli and German people, whose health and wellbeing will be advanced by this document, and by our mutual work.
Of course, both of our countries have long enjoyed fruitful cooperation in the field of health.
We have shared in each other’s knowledge and expertise, learning from best practices, and of course, identifying areas for improvement.
This declaration is a continuation of this mutual work, which has been conducted through regular government to government exchanges over the past years.
This declaration is a very important next step. It touches on the greatest health challenges and opportunities our countries’ face.
Our collaboration will strengthen tools in pandemic response, paving the way for pioneering new disease prevention and control mechanisms.
We are dedicated to harnessing state-of-the-art technologies and the latest scientific breakthroughs to develop better medical devices and advance pharmaceuticals.
All of this comes hand in hand with a joint effort in reshaping our health systems to incorporate the great assets of digital health, while also optimizing existing platforms, infrastructure, and workforce capabilities.
We also share a commitment to advancing public health through universal healthcare and new approaches to health insurance.
This declaration represents the spirit of friendly and enthusiastic cooperation that characterizes the Israel-German relationship.
A complex relationship with a long history which today we direct towards building a better future for both our peoples and the entire world.
As we have seen in the past, we must always work towards a better future and never remain silent in the face of human tragedies.
We should welcome the refugees and care for the wounded even when tragedies occur beyond our borders, like in the war on the Ukraine which is now well into its 7th month.
Our cooperation should be a springboard for further innovative projects and improving our universal healthcare systems.
By working together we have much to offer each other, and much to offer the wider international community in the field of health.
We have accomplished so much already, but our joint work is only just beginning.