In a landmark visit, the Israeli foreign minister in Bahrain

Shafaq News/ On Thursday, Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid arrives in Bahrain on the highest-level official Israeli visit to the Gulf state since the countries established formal relations last year.

Lapid, who landed at Bahrain’s international airport in an Israir plane with an olive branch painted on its nose, will inaugurate Israel’s embassy in Manama and hold talks with his Bahraini counterpart.

An Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesperson said five memorandums of understanding would be signed, including cooperation agreements between hospitals and water and power companies.

“The main areas in which Bahrain is looking for cooperation have to do with the economy and technology, and a few of the MOUs that will be signed (on Thursday) will be about that,” the spokesperson said, without elaborating.

“We see Bahrain as an important partner, on the bilateral level, but also as a bridge to cooperate with other countries in the region,” the spokesperson said.

He said 12 memorandums of understanding had been signed so far between the two countries, among them deals relating to transportation, agriculture, communication, and finance.

Bahrain’s Gulf Air will make its first direct commercial flight to Tel Aviv later in the day. Reuters said.