Israel’s FM Cohen: ‘We are working to reach free trade deal with Bahrain’

Israel’s Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said in an interview on Monday that Israel is working on reaching a free trade agreement with Bahrain. 

In his interview with Al-Alyyam newspaper, Cohen said that his visit to the Gulf state that began on Sunday is aimed at continuing to “build, expand and deepen the friendship between the two countries and the two peoples through several aspects.” Most notably, Jerusalem wants to reach an agreement on infrastructure, while strengthening agreements in the economic and trade fields, according to Cohen.

“We also look forward to moving forward to sign the free trade zone agreement and deepening the relationship between the two peoples. I personally attach great importance to this point, especially the relations between the youth of the two countries,” he said, stressing that his country seeks to make its relations with Bahrain “a role model for all other peoples.”

Cohen also pointed out the importance of cooperation in health and academics, and youth relations, as well as “advanced technology, attracting investments, and increasing commercial growth.” He noted that his vision is based on the importance of reaching a “Middle East, in which people live in peace and security.” 

Speaking about the regional issues, Israel's top diplomat stressed that his country is working to expand the “circle of peace,” expressing his hope that new countries will join the Abraham Accords, which will celebrate the three-year anniversary of their signing two weeks from now. According to Cohen, the Abraham Accords have changed the face of the Middle East and the joining of other countries “may contribute to achieving greater stability and prosperity for all countries of the region.”

Regarding the Palestinian issue, Cohen said that there is “no one in the world more interested in ending the conflict with the Palestinians than Israel.” He added that the inclusion of Arab countries in the circle of peace will enhance the possibility of reaching a solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

Cohen also defended the judicial reform plans of the current government, calling them “necessary changes in the judicial system, which in turn will strengthen Israeli democracy.” 

He concluded by assuring that Israel's relations with the United States remain strong despite recent disagreements. 

“If we look at things more broadly, we find that even among close friends there are issues on which they may not agree, but we have a deep and comprehensive dialogue on many issues, including those issues on which we disagree,” he said. 

“Today, we are working closely with our American friends to expand the circle of peace and normalization with the Arab countries. We have reached a number of important achievements with them, including Saudi Arabia allowing the use of its airspace for flights between Israel and other countries, as well as the Sultanate of Oman, which recently allowed the use of its airspace,” the minister added.