Argentinian Foreign Minister Hector Timmerman has denied that his government offered to stop investigating two deadly bombing attacks against a Jewish centers and the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires in the 1990s in return for improved trade ties with Iran.
Last month, the Argentinian magazine Perfil quoted an Iranian diplomatic memo detailing a proposal from Argentina to drop the investigations.
Iran is accused of being behind the attacks on the Israeli Embassy in Argentina in 1992, which killed 29 and injured 242, and the AMIA Jewish Center in Buenos Aires two years later in which 85 people were killed and more than 200 wounded.
Timmerman, who is on a visit to Israel, declared in Jerusalem: "Argentina already trades freely with Iran, so what am I going to get by forgetting the investigation? What kind of commercial benefit?".
"I stand here as a representative of the Argentine government, determined to do justice in this matter, he added.
Early today Timerman, who is Jewish, met with his Israeli counterpart, Avigdor Liberman at the Israeli Foreign Ministry. Both officials remarked the “historic and friendly relationship” between Argentina and Israel.
Timmerman, who met with his Israeli counterpart Avigdor Liberman, said that “there is nothing that could interfere between the profound and historic relationship Argentina has with Israel.”
Israel had threatened to cancel Timmerman's scheduled visit if he did not clarify that Argentina would continue to pursue the investigations on the attacks. The minister reportedly issued the clarification during a meeting last week with the head of the Jewish Agency, Natan Sharansky.
Timmerman is accompanied by Argentinian businessmen and relatives of victims of the bombing of the Jewish center.
He was also due to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and opposition's leader Tzipi Livni.
uring his meeting with the visiting minister, Avigdor Lieberman said that Israel is thinking of “resuming direct flights between Tel Aviv and Buenos Aires.”