German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Thursday during a meeting in Berlin that they want to expand cooperation in the field of weapons between their countries, according to the German news agency DPA, quoted by Agerpres.

Scholz confirmed Germany’s intention to purchase Israel’s Arrow 3 air defense system, a project he said was a “very, very big step forward” in cooperation between the two countries.

After the meeting, the chancellor also emphasized that the export of German weapons to Israel will continue. It is clear that “we will continue to supply weapons to Israel,” he said.

Previously, Germany supplied Israel with mostly submarines, subsidizing exports with taxpayers’ money.

Germany considers the security of Israel to be its top priority as a state, given Nazi Germany’s responsibility for the Holocaust in World War II.

The Israeli Arrow 3 system should become part of the European air defense system. Currently, it is the highest level of Israel’s multi-stage anti-missile defense and can destroy offensive weapon systems at an altitude of more than 100 km.

Neither of the two prime ministers specified when the contract will be signed and what its scope is.

“We made a decision to move forward. Of course, we will move forward as quickly as possible,” Netanyahu said.