Israel’s foreign minister agreed Monday with his Bahraini counterpart toboost trade relations, during his first visit to one of the two Gulf Arabstates to establish ties with Israel.
“The foreign minister and I agreed that we should work together to increasethe number of direct flights, the tourism, the trade volume, theinvestment,” Eli Cohen said during a ceremony to inaugurate Israel’s newembassy.
The embassy in the capital Manama will replace the first embassy Israelopened in 2021, a year after it established diplomatic relations withBahrain as part of the US-brokered Abraham Accords.
Under the accords, Israel also established ties with the United ArabEmirates and Morocco.
Monday’s ceremony was attended by Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif AlZayani, who said the “new embassy assumes a pivotal role” in growingcollaboration between the two countries.
Al Zayani said his talks with Cohen on Monday resulted in an agreement onadvancing “relations across the broadest range of fields, including,economic, investment, trade and other areas.”
Cohen arrived in Bahrain on Sunday, accompanied by a business delegation ofmore than 30 companies working in high-tech, logistics and real estate.
Earlier on Monday, he met Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa anddiscussed “the importance of advancing a free trade agreement and projectsto connect youths in Israel and Bahrain”, Cohen posted on X, formerlyTwitter.
“We look forward to expanding the circle of peace and normalisation toother states in the area,” he said.
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Despite now having steady ties with Israel, Bahrain and the UAE have joinedother Gulf Arab states in issuing a series of condemnations against it thisyear.
Raids on the Al Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem and the Jenin Palestinian refugeecamp in the occupied West Bank were among Israeli moves that sparked a Gulfoutcry.
However, Cohen’s trip coincides with growing speculation about an impendingnormalisation deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia, which is not asignatory to the Abraham Accords.
Riyadh and Washington have held talks on Saudi conditions for progress onnormalisation with Israel, according to people briefed on the meetings.
“There are more Arab and Muslim countries that have shown interest intaking a step forward in joining the peace circle,” Cohen told a pressconference in Manama, without naming them.
In Bahrain, Cohen also visited the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet base where hediscussed maritime security cooperation, according to a statement by USNaval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT).
The visit “underscores our expanding partnership with Israel”, NAVCENTcommander Vice-Admiral Brad Cooper was quoted as saying. – APP/AFP
