by Shlomo Cesana, News Agencies and Israel Hayom Staff
Israel and the mostly Muslim nation of Guinea severed ties in 1967 • Renewal of relations is part of a larger Israeli effort to improve ties with African countries • Foreign Ministry Director General Dore Gold: Israel and Guinea are age-old friends.
Foreign Ministry Director
General Dore Gold with Chief of Staff of the Guinean President's Office
Ibrahim Khalil Kaba
|
Photo credit: Erez Lichtfeld  |
Israel said Wednesday it has renewed
diplomatic ties with the largely Muslim African country of Guinea, the
latest step in Israel's courtship of the continent, and Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu said he expected another nation to soon follow suit.
Many anticipate Chad to be the still unnamed country.
The news comes after Netanyahu's four-nation
Africa tour this month. It was the first visit to sub-Saharan Africa by a
sitting Israeli prime minister in nearly three decades.
Netanyahu addressed budding relations with
Africa on a visit to southern Israel. "During my visit to Africa, I told
you that another country that we didn't have ties with would soon
announce a renewal of ties, and indeed that happened today with Guinea,"
he said. "In the coming days, I believe another country will be added
as well. This is part of a process that is gaining momentum, and it is
very important. It is opening Israel up to Africa, and it, of course,
helps us in other aspects too."
Israel's ties with Guinea, a Muslim majority
country, were severed in 1967. Forty-nine years later, Foreign Ministry
Director General Dore Gold signed the renewal agreement in Paris with
Chief of Staff of the Guinean President's Office Ibrahim Khalil Kaba.
Gold said Wednesday, "Israel calls on
countries that have not yet renewed diplomatic relations to follow in
Guinea's footsteps, so that we can work together for the benefit of all
peoples in the region. The number of countries in Africa that still
haven't done so is getting smaller, and we hope that soon there will not
be any."
'Age-old friends'
Gold added that "Guinea and Israel are
countries between which there is an age-old friendship, which also
existed during the years without diplomatic relations. Israel is proud
to have taken part in the international effort to eradicate the Ebola
virus that also hit Guinea. Our participation in the U.N.
Secretary-General's fund and our contribution of the mobile clinic are
testimony to that friendship. Israel is prepared to share its experience
and capability to help with Guinea's development needs in a wide range
of fields, such as, agriculture, water management and homeland defense."
Gold stressed that the renewal of relations
followed Netanyahu's decision to improve diplomatic, economic and
security ties with Africa. "The visit expresses Israel's commitment to
the continent and the recognition of African countries and of Israel
regarding the need to join hands and fight the challenge of Islamist
terrorism, which threatens both the Middle East and Africa," he said.
Shlomo Cesana, News Agencies and Israel Hayom Staff
Source: http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=35133
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