Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar began a visit to South America on Wednesday, starting with a stop in Ecuador — the first Israeli ministerial visit there in 44 years. Sa'ar will later represent Israel at the inauguration of Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella, who has pledged to move his country's embassy to Jerusalem. The visit follows the agreement on the embassy move and is part of efforts to strengthen ties with Latin America, according to Channel 12.
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar departed Wednesday for a diplomatic tour of South America, beginning with an official visit to Ecuador — the first by an Israeli foreign minister in 44 years. Sa'ar will then travel to Colombia to represent Israel at the inauguration of President Abelardo de la Espriella, scheduled for later this week.
The visit is part of a broader diplomatic push to strengthen Israel's ties with Latin America, following the rightward shift in several key countries. As The Zioneer has reported, de la Espriella won the Colombian presidency in June on a platform of restoring the strategic alliance with Israel, including moving his country's embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The incoming Colombian foreign minister, Omar Bula Escobar, confirmed the embassy move in a meeting with Sa'ar in Washington last month.
The tour also reflects the warming of relations between Israel and Ecuador, a country that had previously maintained a more distant posture. Sa'ar's visit to Quito is expected to include meetings with Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa and senior officials, as well as the signing of bilateral agreements.
- DevelopingFM Sa'ar congratulates Colombia's de la Espriella on presidential win
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- DevelopingFM Sa'ar meets with Argentine, Paraguayan, Bolivian foreign ministers in Washington
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