Foreign Minister Eli Cohen met with the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Italy Antonio Tajani on Thursday.
The meeting was in preparation for the G2G meeting between the countries set to take place in October 2023 in Jerusalem.
“Italy is one of Israel’s greatest friends in Europe. Relations between the countries reach new heights every day,” said Cohen after thanking Italy for its support in the international and European arena.
The pair discussed further strengthening relations between the countries in light of the great progress in recent times and increased cooperation in the fields of the economy, innovation, and energy.
The ministers also discussed the upcoming intergovernmental meeting (G2G) as an opportunity to upgrade relations between the two countries, promoting cooperation and deepening bilateral relations.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seen with Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani in Jerusalem on March 13, 2023 (credit: KOBI GIDEON/GPO)The meeting is expected to take place in October in Jerusalem and will be the first intergovernmental meeting held in Israel since the establishment of the current government last November.
Israeli-Vatican relations
Cohen also met with the Vatican’s Foreign Minister Archbishop Paul Gallagher, where he committed Israel to protecting the safety of Christians in Israel and maintaining freedom of religion and worship.
This was the first visit of an Israeli foreign minister to the Vatican in 12 years.
He also strongly condemned any violence against Christians and emphasized that in Israel there is freedom of worship for all religions.
“We are committed to maintaining their safety and dignity, and we will continue to do so and show zero tolerance towards cases of hate-based violence,” said Cohen.
Cohen thanked the Vatican for its important activity in the fight against antisemitism and its assistance in promoting the issue of Israeli prisoners and missing persons.
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