Bahrain’s first official government delegation to Israel travelling on the first Gulf Air commercial flight to Tel Aviv landed in Israel on Wednesday.
Bahrain’s foreign minister Abdullatif Al-Zayani is leading the delegation which was welcomed by Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi, ministers and officials.
The foreign minister’s trip to Israel will coincide with a visit there by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. The officials will hold a three-way meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, two diplomats briefed on the planning said.
“This visit is a courageous step taken by the Kingdom of Bahrain in line with the vision of King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa to achieve security, stability and prosperity, with the Kingdom playing its pioneering role to achieve peace in the region and in the world," Al Zayani said in a statement, state news agency BNA reported.
"The Kingdom of Bahrain, with this historic visit to the State of Israel, confirms its policy of commitment to peace as a strategic option through which frameworks for initiatives to promote international cooperation, stability, peace and prosperity in the Middle East region are launched."
This visit is a strategic start to enhance cooperation between Bahrain and Israel in a way that achieves their shared interests, particularly that it will contribute to launching many cooperation initiatives in various fields and will mark a starting point for other anticipated visits, he added.
"Over the past decades, the Middle East has witnessed conflicts and instability and time has come for us to pursue other policies to reach a comprehensive solution that achieves prosperity and development for all," Al Zayani added.
The visit follows agreements in the declaration to support peace and the Declaration of Abraham Principles between Bahrain and Israel signed in Washington on September 15.
