Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa received Israeli President Isaac Herzog, in the presence of Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, at the Gudaibiya Palace in Manama and discussed bilateral cooperation and regional and international issues of common concern.
The Bahrain News Agency (BNA) said that the King of Bahrain welcomed the Israeli President, hoping the visit would enhance relations between Manama and Tel Aviv.
Addressing the Israeli President, King Hamad said: “We are confident that this visit has an important role in consolidating relations between our two countries and supporting our common aspirations in terms of consolidating peace and sustainable development in the region and the world."
He indicated that the visit is an opportunity to witness the beauty of the religious and cultural diversity in Bahrain, and the spirit of friendliness, tolerance, and peaceful coexistence among all religions and races, reaffirming the belief in the values of peace, brotherhood, and cooperation among human beings.
"We value and appreciate the developments witnessed in the relations between our two countries since the signing of the Abraham Accords and the Declaration in Support of Peace, which opens broader horizons for spreading the culture of peace and promoting security, stability, and peace in the Middle East and the world," said the Monarch.
He reiterated his firm position in support of achieving a just, comprehensive, and sustainable peace that guarantees the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people and that would lead to stability for both the Palestinian and Israeli peoples, as well as all peoples of the region.
For his part, the Israeli President indicated that his delegation comprises elite representatives of Israel's economic and trade sectors, who look forward to working with the representatives of these sectors in Bahrain.
"We also affirm our aspiration to strengthen relations between the people of Israel and Bahrain," he indicated.
The Bahrain News Agency said the talks addressed the Bahraini-Israeli relations focusing on ways to broaden bilateral cooperation to serve common interests.
They discussed ways to encourage communication between the private sector in the two countries and the exchange of the visits of official delegations, which will contribute to increasing the volume of bilateral trade exchange.
They also stressed the importance of activating the agreements and memoranda of understanding signed between the two countries in vital sectors and enhancing the role of the joint economic committees in advancing bilateral economic and trade cooperation.
The two leaders affirmed that the Abraham Accords and the Declaration Supporting Peace embody their determination to promote peace, coexistence, and fraternity, foster tolerance and coexistence among religions and beliefs, and consolidate joint action to build constructive and fruitful cooperation relations.
They reviewed the latest regional and global developments and challenges. They reiterated the need to exerting more efforts to confront regional challenges, protect the security and stability of the region, establish lasting peace and coexistence based on trust and mutual respect, as well as combat terrorism, extremism, and violence.
Herzog and the accompanying delegation arrived Sunday for a one-day visit, and Foreign Minister Abdullatif al-Zayani received them at Bahrain International Airport.
This is the first official visit of an Israeli president to Bahrain since the normalization of relations between the two countries in 2020.
The former Foreign Minister, Yair Lapid, visited Bahrain in September 2021 to open the Israeli embassy, and former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett visited Bahrain last February.
Herzog will head to the UAE, where he will meet President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
