Israel’s foreign minister arrived in Bahrain on Thursday, the first high-level visit to the small Gulf state by a senior Israeli official since the signing last year of a landmark agreement to establish diplomatic ties.
Yair Lapid landed in Bahrain’s capital, Manama, for meetings with his Bahraini counterpart and to inaugurate Israel’s embassy.
It was the first official visit by an Israeli Cabinet member.
After Lapid landed, Bahrain carrier Gulf Air launched its first direct flight between Manama and Tel Aviv.
The Israeli diplomatic delegation was to meet with its Bahraini counterparts and sign a raft of agreements to further cement bilateral ties, including economic deals and cooperation between hospitals and water companies.
The two countries had long enjoyed clandestine security ties over a shared distrust of regional rival Iran, but only last year took the relationship public.
Israel established formal diplomatic relations with four Arab states last year as part of the U.S.-brokered “Abraham Accords.”
Lapid has already visited the United Arab Emirates and Morocco and opened Israel’s diplomatic offices there since he became Israel’s foreign minister in June.
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