And it is good. Well before his first journey to the place that would bear his name, Penn pronounced his purpose in founding this new land. In that, Pennsylvania and Israel have much in common. We are tied together, not only by that legacy and our strong desire for peace and security, but by culture, economics and our many Jewish citizens. Today, we strengthen that bond with an Agreement of Cooperation between the Commonwealth and the State of Israel.
Good trade makes good friends.
And today, Pennsylvania enters into its first official economic and cultural partnership with another country. With this agreement, we establish a formal relationship that will jointly advance the interests of Pennsylvania and Israel. We each have substantial resources that can benefit the other. With this agreement, we seek to enhance technological research and economic development, as well as to increase cultural awareness in order to promote a deeper understanding of shared values through the economy, arts, technology and education. Such an exchange of resources secures Pennsylvania and the State of Israel's bilateral relationship today and provides hope for our partnership's growth and maturity in the future.