Foreign Minister Eli Cohen spoke today (Thursday) with Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlić-Radman and the High Commissioner for Foreign Policy and Security of the European Union, Jozep Borrell.
Minister Cohen thanked Burrell for the congratulations on his entry into office and welcomed the positive progress in EU-Israel relations. Minister Cohen noted the meeting of the Association Council held in October, for the first time in ten years, as an important move that reflects the dynamism for the better in the relationship between the parties.
Minister Cohen expressed hope for continued strengthening of the relationship between Israel and the European Union in a variety of fields.
In a conversation with the Croatian Foreign Minister, Foreign Minister Cohen thanked Minister Gerlich Ramadan for his activities to strengthen the ties between the countries and congratulated him on Croatia’s entry this month into the Schengen Agreement and the Eurozone. Foreign Minister Cohen expressed his appreciation for Croatia’s opposition to the Authority’s decision regarding the International Court of Justice in The Hague in the General Assembly. In addition, Foreign Minister Cohen referred to the enormous potential for deepening the relationship and cooperation between Israel and Croatia in the fields of science, agriculture, energy, innovation and cyber and that the imminent signing of the joint statement between the two countries would be a significant step in this direction.
Yesterday, Minister Cohen spoke with the Foreign Minister of Cyprus, Ioannis Kasoulides, and with the Foreign Minister of Guatemala, Mario Bucaro.
In his conversation with Cypriot Minister Kasoulides yesterday, Foreign Minister Cohen emphasized the strategic bilateral relations between Israel and Cyprus and the importance of cooperation in the field of energy.
Foreign Minister Cohen told his counterpart from Cyprus that Israel sees great importance in the Israel-Cyprus-Greece triangle, and that Israel intends to continue holding tripartite government meetings.
In a conversation held yesterday with the Foreign Minister of Guatemala, Foreign Minister Cohen thanked Minister Bucaro for his work to strengthen relations between the countries during his tenure as ambassador to Israel until 2021.
Minister Cohen told his colleague that Israel has great respect for Guatemala both for its central historical role in the establishment of the State of Israel and for the opening of the Guatemalan embassy in Jerusalem in 2018.
Foreign Minister Cohen assured Foreign Minister Bokaro that Guatemala will continue to be a central country for cooperation within the framework of the activities of Israel’s International Aid Agency, and thanked the Guatemalan Foreign Minister for his government’s cooperation in dealing with the “Pure Lev Tahor” sect.