Israeli-Bahrainian relations have progressed significantly since the Abraham Accords were signed in 2020.
 |
Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen (third from right) and his Bahraini counterpart Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani (third from left) at the opening ceremony of the Israeli Embassy in Bahrain on September 4. (Source: Reuters) |
On September 4th, Israel officially inaugurated its new embassy in Bahrain. This event took place a few days before the third anniversary of the signing of the Abraham Accords, brokered by the United States to normalize relations between Israel and the Muslim/Gulf countries.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Bahrain News Agency quoted Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen as emphasizing that the opening of the new embassy in Bahrain reflects the two countries' interest in promoting relations. According to him, this event is an opportunity to advance common goals between the two countries, including cooperation and stability, and stressed the importance of cooperation in promoting relations in the fields of security, trade, culture, and other areas.
For his part, the host country's Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani expressed his pleasure at attending the opening ceremony of the new Israeli Embassy headquarters with his counterpart Cohen.
According to him, this important event demonstrated a shared commitment to promoting and developing bilateral relations, as well as contributing to peace , security, and prosperity for the benefit of the people in the region.
At the same time, the Bahraini Foreign Minister affirmed that his counterpart Cohen's first visit to the Gulf nation marked an important milestone in the developing relationship between the two countries, as well as a shared determination to promote harmony and cooperation.
According to him, both sides need to strengthen diplomatic efforts and develop bilateral cooperation in various fields, noting that the establishment of a new embassy plays a key role in joint cooperation efforts to achieve the goals set out in the Peace Declaration, the Abraham Accords, and the Negev Forum.
Eli Cohen is currently on his first visit as Foreign Minister to Bahrain, one of the countries that established diplomatic relations with the State of Israel on the basis of the Abraham Accords. During the visit, the Israeli Foreign Minister and his Bahraini counterpart discussed ways to expand bilateral cooperation in trade, investment, technology, training, and tourism .
According to the Israeli Foreign Ministry, during a meeting with Bahraini Prime Minister and Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Cohen stated that Israel hopes to sign further agreements on normalizing relations with Arab countries. Relations between Israel and Bahrain have improved since both countries joined the Abraham Accords. The two countries have also begun negotiations for a free trade agreement (FTA).
The Abraham Accords, signed on September 15, 2020, aimed to normalize relations between Israel and the Gulf Muslim countries, with the United States playing a key mediating role. Prior to this, only Egypt and Jordan were two other Gulf states with relations with Israel. Since the signing of this document, relations between Israel and the aforementioned Gulf nations have expanded, notably with the resumption of direct flights and economic agreements.
Recently, the State of Israel and Riyadh have also been holding discussions on bilateral relations, which are being promoted by Washington.
Source
Comment (0)