Israel and Bahrain expected to conclude free trade agreement soon and inaugurate permanent embassy

This is what emerged from a joint meeting on the sidelines of a two-day visit that Eli Cohen began on September 3 in Bahrain.

This is, in fact, the first visit of the Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs to one of the countries of the Abraham Accords (Bahrain, the Emirates and Morocco).

On the ”X” platform, Cohen wrote: “during my meeting with the Crown Prince of Bahrain, Salman bin Hamad al Khalifa, we discussed various regional challenges, the engagement of our two countries in the fight against terrorism and the importance of supporting the free trade agreement.

And added, “I thanked the Crown Prince for his support for the Abraham Accords, which have changed the face of the Middle East and contributed to the stability and prosperity of the people of the region.” .

Eli Cohen also indicated that “discussions on cooperation projects between the youth of Israel and Bahrain”, and Tel Aviv’s aspiration to “expand the circle of peace and normalization with all countries of the region” were on the agenda of the meeting.

The official page of the Court of the Crown Prince of Bahrain on the “X” platform published photos of the meeting.

For its part, the “Israel in Arabic” site affiliated with the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs revealed that Eli Cohen inaugurated on September 6 the permanent headquarters of his country’s embassy in the Bahraini capital, Manama, in the presence of the Israeli Foreign Minister and his Bahraini counterpart, Abd al-Latif al-Zayani. A Mezuzah was placed at the entrance to the Israeli embassy, according to Jewish traditions followed during the inauguration of official residences and institutions.

The Mezuzah is a small scroll of parchment attached to the doorposts of Jewish homes and institutions.

Eli Cohen arrived in Bahrain, accompanied by a delegation including prominent Israeli political and economic figures, aiming to advance relations between the two countries.

In 2020, Israel and Bahrain reached an agreement to normalize relations.

Recall that the United Arab Emirates was the first Arab country to conclude a free trade agreement with Israel, in mid-2022.

Source: Anadolu Agency