Israeli Foreign Minister and Alternate Prime Minister Yair Lapid responded, also via Twitter, saying “your important decision” to open the institute “is a symbol of your friendship and it will serve to strengthen the relations between our countries.”

Slovakia’s Foreign Minister, Ivan Korcok, has announced the opening of the Slovak Institute in Jerusalem on September 1.

“Slovakia is deepening relations with #Israel,” Korcok wrote on Twitter. He added that Slovakia continues to support the resumption of peace talks to reach a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Israeli Foreign Minister and Alternate Prime Minister Yair Lapid responded, also via Twitter, saying “your important decision” to open the institute “is a symbol of your friendship and it will serve to strengthen the relations between our countries.”

Slovakia and Israel signed a $180 million defense deal in January for the purchase of 17 radar systems produced by Israel Aerospace Industries.