Honduras opens embassy in Jerusalem

By Pablo Duer

Jerusalem, Jun 24 (EFE).- Honduras opened an embassy in Jerusalem on Thursday after an inauguration attended by the country’s president, Juan Orlando Hernandez.

The Central American country became the fourth state to establish a diplomatic mission with Israel, following in the footsteps of the United States, Guatemala, and Kosovo.

The ceremony attended by Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett took place at the headquarters of the new embassy, ??in the western part of Jerusalem.

Both leaders also held bilateral meetings and signed agreements to launch programs and projects in several sectors such as agriculture, water, health, education and innovation.

“Today we inaugurate our diplomatic headquarters in a brother country who is supportive and generous. Long live the friendship between the peoples of Honduras and Israel!” Hernandez wrote on Twitter, calling Jerusalem Israel’s “eternal capital.”

Meanwhile, Bennett tweeted “the cooperation agreements between the countries we signed today are another demonstration of the strong friendship and deep connection between the countries.”

Before the inauguration, Hernandez held a meeting with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin and visited the Wailing Wall, one of the holiest sites in the Jewish faith.

Hernandez is also scheduled to meet businessmen, academics, clerics, and Israeli hospital authorities during his visit which will end on Friday, a spokesman for his office told Efe.

In 2018, former US president Donald Trump relocated his country’s embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem after he unilaterally recognized the city as the capital of Israel in December 2017, sparking anger abroad and among the Palestinian population.