Eli Cohen, the foreign minister of Israel, is currently in Manila, the capital of the Philippines.
This is the first time an Israeli foreign minister has been to Manila in 56 years.
After touring the countries of Austria, Croatia, Hungary, and Slovakia last week, Cohen will also travel to South Korea during this trip.
Enrique Manelo, the foreign minister of the Philippines, and the foreign minister of Israel met on Monday to discuss ways to strengthen their bilateral economic and business ties.
The Israeli Embassy in Manila formally opened floors for its economic and defense operations on Monday as well.
Cohen stated his intention to begin direct flights between Tel Aviv and Manila in 2024 during an Israel-Philippines Business Forum on Sunday, saying that this would be “great news for the tourism industry and business community.”
Cohen also stated his willingness to “take to new heights” trade between Israel and the Philippines.
Along with Manelo, Cohen will meet with top government representatives from both nations, including South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., to discuss the strengthening of ties between the two countries in the areas of security and economy.
“We are fostering closer ties with Southeast Asia’s emerging powers. Israel will have new prospects for policy in this crucial region as a result of the trip to the Philippines and South Korea, according to Cohen.
He noted that the trip was a “direct continuation” of his most recent trip to India.
“Asia is a continent with tremendous potential and of great importance to Israel and its economy,” he declared.
Cohen is in charge of two business delegations that have been put together by the Economic Division of the Foreign Ministry, the Export Institute, and the Israeli embassies in Seoul and Manila.
Agribusiness, water, energy, cleantech, security and cyber, emergency preparedness, and health will be the main areas of emphasis for the business delegation to the Philippines.
The delegation’s focus in South Korea will be on augmented reality, robots, smart manufacturing, and the automobile industry.
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