Meeting Between Israel Ambassador To NZ And New Zealand Minister Of Foreign Affairs

Today H.E. Ambassador Ran Yaakoby had a fruitful meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs Hon Nanaia Mahuta.

They had a productive discussion, and covered a wide range of topics, including the historic Abraham Accords, signaling a new chapter in the history of peace in the Middle East. The Ambassador also mentioned that Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid’s upcoming visit to the Kingdom of Bahrain will be the first official visit by an Israeli minister to the country and that a number of bilateral agreements will be signed during the Foreign Minister’s visit.

The Ambassador also referred to a recent conversation shared between Foreign Minister Yair Lapid and Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry earlier this month, as well as Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi, where they expressed a desire to strengthen the good bilateral and economic relations between Israel and Egypt, together with the "Economy for Security" program for Gaza presented by FM Lapid.

Ambassador Ran Yaakoby and FM Nanaia Mahuta agreed on the importance of achieving trust as a building block towards peace. Ambassador Yaakoby reaffirmed that this is one of Israel’s main goals in its relations with the Palestinians. Ambassador Yaakoby also spoke on Israel’s new government, which is its most diverse to date, as well as the many different communities that call Israel home, including people of different ethnicities and religious backgrounds, who enjoy the freedoms Israeli Democracy offers them.

Ambassador Ran Yaakoby and FM Nanaia Mahuta also discussed the ongoing assistance Israel’s Ministry of Health have offered Director-General of Health Dr. Ashley Bloomfield and his team as a result of Israel’s rapid COVID-19 vaccine rollout.

Hon Nanaia Mahuta also mentioned the positive reports received on Israel’s support of the Māori Economy. Both went on to discuss Israel’s assistance to the Pacific, including its recent assistance to Samoa and Tonga in addressing climate change through donating clean technology systems, as well as the additional ways that Israel and New Zealand can work together in combatting climate change.

Both Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta and Ambassador Ran Yaakoby thanked one another for a warm and productive meeting and look forward to meeting again in the near future.

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