This story originally appeared in the JC Israel Briefing. You can sign up to receive the briefing daily here.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar officially inaugurated a new Israeli embassy in Fiji yesterday.
The prime minister of the Pacific nation, Sitiveni Rabuka, said the inauguration in the capital, Suva, ushered in a “golden era” between the two nations.
Rabuka was part of a delegation to visit Jerusalem last autumn, when the Fijian Embassy opened in the Israeli capital.
In a statement published on the website of Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), Saar said: “Prime Minister, we appreciate your historic decision to open Fiji's embassy in our eternal capital, Jerusalem DC, David's Capital.”
He added: “Your bold decision reflects your friendship, moral leadership and deep connection to the Holy Land.”
The two men held a joint press conference at which Rabuka recognised Israel’s “legitimate security concerns” and “sovereign right to protect its people against terrorism”.
Diplomatic relations between the two countries began in 1970. Israel previously had an embassy on the island but it was closed in 1995 due to budget constraints.
While in Fiji, Sa’ar also signed “a declaration of Intent on cooperation in the field of national security” and a “Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in diplomatic training”.
According to the MFA, the agreements “build upon a series of agreements concluded between the two countries in recent years”.
This story originally appeared in the JC Israel Briefing. You can sign up to receive the briefing daily here.
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