Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Netanyahu commends Merkel on tough stance on Iran

(WashingtonTV)—Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu congratulated German Chancellor Angela Merkel on her re-election, Germany’s Deutsche Presse-Agentur [DPA] reported on Wednesday.

Citing a statement from the prime minister’s office, DPA reported that Netanyahu also commended Merkel’s “tough stance” on Iran, during a telephone conversation on late Tuesday.

He “expressed appreciation for Germany’s tough stance on the issue of Iran,” the statement said.

Merkel’s conservative Christian Democratic Union took almost 34 percent of the vote in Sunday’s election. The party is seeking to form a coalition with the Free Democratic Party, which came in third with 14.6 percent.

Germany is one of six major powers working to resolve the longstanding row over Iran’s nuclear program.

Merkel has warned Tehran that it could face new sanctions if it failed to show a willingness to negotiate on its nuclear program.