Russian-Israeli honeymoon

"Evidently, Barak didn't take Prikhodko as the last word. Following the signing of a five-year military agreement with his Russian counterpart Anatoly Serdyukov in Moscow on Monday, Barak headed for Putin's summer residence in the Black Sea resort of Sochi for a meeting where they discussed the range of security and diplomatic issues.   The agreement, according to the Russian media, "boosts military ties ... to help them fight common threats, such as terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction"; "sketches out" a five-year prospective military cooperation program that includes "exchange of experience and information in spheres of mutual interests" relating to issues of international security, development of military education, medicine, physical training, etc.   Serdyukov said, "Our views on many modern challenges are close or coincide. First of all, it has to do with terrorism and non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction." He seemed to hint at intelligence-sharing over the activities of militant groups operating in the Middle East and North Caucasus and Iran's nuclear program." (thanks Olivia)