Israel opens new embassy in Bahrain to boost economic, cultural ties

Israel’s Foreign Minister Eli Cohen announced the opening of the country’s new embassy in Manama during his visit to Bahrain.

The permanent embassy in the capital city will replace the first embassy Israel opened back in 2021, after it signed the Abraham Accords. As part of the accord, Israel established diplomatic relations with Bahrain and the UAE.

The Israeli Foreign Minister speaking at the opening ceremony along with his Bahraini counterpart Dr Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani, called it a “historic step and an important milestone in relations between the two countries, and reflects the support for the diplomatic efforts made by the embassy to continue to develop bilateral relations”.

“Mazel Tov!”

Today we inaugurated the permanent embassy of the State of Israel ?? in the Kingdom of Bahrain ??, in the presence of FM @elicoh1 and FM Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayan, Ambassadors, and member of the Jewish community.

In addition to the symbolism of building… pic.twitter.com/2w0mFOxM7c

— Ronen Levi (Maoz) (@RonenLeviMaoz) September 4, 2023

The Israeli top envoy’s visit to Bahrain coincides with the third anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Dr Al-Zayani welcomed the opportunity to hold a fruitful and constructive discussion session with his Israeli counterpart. He stressed that both sides had expressed the desire to promote bilateral relations and develop cooperation in economic, investment, trade and other sectors. He underscored the need to increase the volume of trade exchange between the two countries and to develop cooperation in various commercial, cultural and other fields.

Foreign Minister of Israel @elicoh1 was welcomed by Foreign Minister of Bahrain, H.E. Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani at Bahrain international airport.????

تم استقبال وزير خارجية إسرائيل سعادة السيد @elicoh1
من قبل وزير خارجية البحرين سعادة د. عبد اللطيف بن راشد الزياني… pic.twitter.com/wvkZhAQkoG

— إسرائيل في البحرين | Israel in Bahrain (@IsraelinBahrain) September 3, 2023

The Israeli minister was also received by Bahrain’s Deputy King and Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa earlier in the day. Additionally, he met with Bahrain’s Finance Minister Shaikh Salman who noted the importance of activating the bilateral agreements and memoranda of Understanding (MoU) to serve the two countries.

Israel-Bahrain talks

The talks between the foreign ministers focused on the importance of deepening bilateral relations and expanding joint action in the days ahead. Dr Al-Zayani noted the two sides reviewed the progress made in the implementation of the various agreements, and discussed mutual areas of interests to achieve the objectives of the Abraham Accords.

Cohen said that Israel attaches great importance to promoting relations between people, noting that the potential for trade growth between the two countries is possible, including increasing the volume of bilateral tourism.

The two sides signed an MoU on joint cooperation in the field of culture, on banking and financial cooperation, and two joint statements, the first on the establishment of a training programme and the second on joint cooperation in youth issues.

The Israeli minister expressed his appreciation for the joint cooperation between the two countries on the international arena and the exchange of support in international forums. He added that the two countries can start implementing joint activities at the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28), explaining that climate issues are particularly important in the region and around the world, expressing Israel’s readiness to cooperate with friends and partners to promote positive changes.

Additionally, Dr Al-Zayani added the two sides agreed to use the Negev Forum as platform to drive security and prosperity throughout the region, and an example of what can be achieved through practical cooperation. The Negev Forum is an outcome of the March 2022 Negev Ministerial Meeting. The Negev Forum seeks to enhance cooperation between the member states – the UAE, Bahrain, Egypt, Morocco, Israel, and the United States, with the aim of further building bridges of communication and dialogue and promoting peaceful coexistence throughout the region.