Israel’s Foreign Minister, Eli Cohen has agreed with his Bahraini counterpart, Abdullatif al-Zayani to boost trade relations.
This came during Cohen’s first visit to one of the two Gulf Arab states to establish ties with Israel.
Cohen arrived in Bahrain on Sunday, September 3, 2023, accompanied by a business delegation of more than 30 companies working in high-tech, logistics and real estate.
At a ceremony to inaugurate Israel’s new embassy in Bahrain on Monday, September 4, 2023, Cohen disclosed, “the Foreign Minister and I agreed that we should work together to increase the number of direct flights, the tourism, the trade volume, the investment.”
The embassy in the capital, Manama will replace the first embassy Israel opened in 2021, a year after it established diplomatic relations with Bahrain as part of the United States-brokered Abraham Accords.
Accompanied by Bahraini Foreign Minister, Abdullatif al-Zayani, Cohen opened the embassy at the new location in the capital Manama and fixed a mezuzah – a special parchment with Hebrew inscriptions – to the doorpost.
Abdullatif al-Zayani said that the “new embassy assumes a pivotal role” in growing collaboration between the two countries.
Zayani added that his discussion with Cohen on Monday resulted in an agreement on advancing “relations across the broadest range of fields, including, economic, investment, trade and other areas.”
The two officials also discussed regional challenges and the two countries’ commitment to fighting terrorism, extremism and violence.
Cohen Meets Crown Prince Of Bahrain
Earlier on Monday, Israel’s Foreign Minister Eli Cohen met Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa at Gudaibiya Palace, in Manama.
Per an official statement, Cohen thanked the Crown Prince and his father, King Hamed Bin Isa Al Khalifa, for their leadership in signing the Abraham Accord, “which brought change in the Middle East and contributed to regional stability and the prosperity of the peoples of the region.”
Cohen said that the Abraham Accords “are an example for other countries,” adding that Israel “expects to expand the circle of peace and normalization in the Middle East.”
“Foreign Minister Cohen and the Crown Prince discussed the regional challenges and the commitment of the two countries to the fight against terrorism, extremism and violence in order to create an atmosphere that will allow the expansion of the circle of peace,” the statement noted.
The Minister also emphasized to the Crown Prince the importance of promoting economic and civil ties between the two countries. This, according to him, includes a free trade agreement and “projects to connect young Israelis and Bahrainis.”
Prior to that, the Israeli Foreign Minister visited the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command base in Bahrain, for discussions on regional maritime security cooperation.
He met with Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of NAVCENT, U.S. 5th Fleet and Combined Maritime Forces.
Cohen said the “participation of Israel in regional security is an important outcome of the Abraham Accords.”
“In the face of common challenges, let us remember that our shared commitment to peace and stability knows no boundaries. Together, we can chart a course towards a safer, more prosperous future for our region and beyond.”
Eli Cohen
On his part, Cooper said, “This visit highlights the importance of U.S. 5th Fleet’s decades-long partnership with the Kingdom of Bahrain and underscores our expanding partnership with Israel two years on from the alignment of Israel to U.S. Central Command.”
“We are always at our best when we work together with our international partners,” Cooper added.
