The four-day tour of central Europe brings him to Croatia, Austria, Slovakia and Hungary.

 

Israeli  Foreign Minister Eli Cohen started Monday a diplomatic tour of central Europe with a visit to Croatia’s capital of Zagreb.

The four-day tour of central Europe will also bring him to Austria, Slovakia and Hungary.

At a meeting with Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković and Foreign Minister Gordan Grlić-Radman, Cohen thanked them for their support for Israel on the international stage.

They also discussed the strengthening of ties between the countries in the fields of energy, tourism, economy and innovation.

“I thanked the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister for supporting Israel in international forums, and the Foreign Minister informed me of his intention to strengthen Croatia’s support for Israel in the UN votes,” said Cohen, according to an official statement.

“In addition, we discussed the regional consequences of the war in Ukraine as well as the need to increase the frequency of direct flights between Israel and Croatia, which will help promote tourism and encourage economic cooperation between us,” Cohen added.

The two Foreign Ministers visited the Zagreb Holocaust Memorial together.

On this, Grlić Radman tweeted, “Standing together at the Holocaust memorial in Zagreb with Eli Cohen to honor the victims and remember their enduring legacy. Let us never forget the atrocities of the past and strive towards a world filled with peace and understanding.”

Croatia heads the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) and has adopted the organization’s working definition of antisemitism.

Cohen will also meet with his counterparts in the other three countries, and in addition the foreign minister of the Czech Republic when Cohen partakes in a meeting of the Slavkov/Austerlitz format—a regional cooperation forum between Austria, Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

It is Cohen’s seventh visit to Europe since he assumed office at the start of the year in a bid to bolster the Jewish state’s relations with the European Union.

“The diplomatic visit to the countries of Central Europe strengthens our strategic coordination with our friends and creates opportunities for Israel to promote Israel’s political and economic interests on the continent,” Cohen said ahead of his trip.

“Israel’s friendship with the European Union plays a central role in our relations with Europe. From the economic, cultural and technological cooperation, to the common fight against terrorism and the Iranian nuclear weapon. We will continue to work with the countries of the European Union in order to strengthen the State of Israel and the Israeli economy for the sake of all the citizens of Israel,” the minister continued.

According to Israeli media reports, while in Budapest Cohen will attempt to reach a final agreement on Hungary moving its embassy to Jerusalem. He is expected to meet with his Hungarian counterpart Péter Szijjártó and possibly with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.