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Bahrain, Israel Discuss Boosting Tourism Investment

File photo: Israeli and Bahraini flags
File photo: Israeli and Bahraini flags
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Bahrain, Israel Discuss Boosting Tourism Investment

File photo: Israeli and Bahraini flags
File photo: Israeli and Bahraini flags

Bahrain’s Industry, Commerce, and Tourism Minister Zayed Bin Rashid Al-Zayani held on Wednesday a phone conversation with Israeli Minister of Tourism Orit Farkash-Hacohen to discuss ways to develop cooperation between their countries.

The two officials said they looked forward to more cooperation and paving way for investment in the vital tourism sector.

Zayani briefed the Israeli minister on the efforts exerted by his ministry to improve the sector and consolidate Bahrain’s image as a tourist destination.

Also Wednesday, Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif Al Zayani and his Israeli counterpart Gabi Ashkenazi discussed efforts to boost cooperation between the two countries in different fields.

During a phone conversation, the two officials reviewed the progress made in establishing “constructive relations that meet joint interests,” Bahrain’s news agency BNA reported.

They also explored bilateral cooperation and joint coordination in confronting the COVID-19 pandemic as well as other issues of mutual concern, it said.

Bahrain has signed a historical agreement in Washington to normalize ties with Israel.

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French People Need to Work More to Boost Growth, Minister Says

French Minister for the Economy, Finance and Industry Antoine Armand arrives to attend a governmental seminar at the Hotel Matignon in Paris, on November 4, 2024. (AFP)
French Minister for the Economy, Finance and Industry Antoine Armand arrives to attend a governmental seminar at the Hotel Matignon in Paris, on November 4, 2024. (AFP)
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French People Need to Work More to Boost Growth, Minister Says

French Minister for the Economy, Finance and Industry Antoine Armand arrives to attend a governmental seminar at the Hotel Matignon in Paris, on November 4, 2024. (AFP)
French Minister for the Economy, Finance and Industry Antoine Armand arrives to attend a governmental seminar at the Hotel Matignon in Paris, on November 4, 2024. (AFP)

People in France must work more, Finance Minister Antoine Armand said on Monday, adding that the fact that French people worked less than their counterparts in Europe was harming the economy due to lower tax contributions and social security payments.

The government is examining reforms to speed up its sluggish economic growth, although changes to work practices are often opposed by trade unions.

"On average, a French person works clearly less than his neighbors, over the course of a year," Armand told C News TV.

"The consequence of this is fewer social security payments, less money to finance our social models, fewer tax receipts and ultimately fewer jobs and less economic growth."

France, the euro zone's second biggest economy, wants to cut its public deficit to a targeted 5% of GDP by 2025.

The country's 35-hour work week, introduced in 2000, has typically been fiercely defended by trade unions, while reforms to France's pension system have also faced widespread protests.

"Let's all work a bit more, collectively speaking, starting off by making sure that everyone respects the working hours that they have been given, in all sectors," Armand said.