From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, April 25, 2023
Foreign Minister Cohen headed to Spain
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleLazar Berman is The Times of Israel's diplomatic reporter
Foreign Minister Eli Cohen will fly to Madrid tomorrow evening to meet with Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares and Congress of Deputies President Meritxell Batet on Thursday, The Times of Israel learns.
During the 24-hour visit, he will also make an appearance at the public diplomacy organization Centro Sefarad-Israel, Madrid’s Jewish community, and meet the president of the Community of Madrid, who was in Israel in March.
Cohen and Albares last met in January at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
Cohen will attend the diplomatic reception for Yom Ha’atzmaut at President Herzog’s residence in Jerusalem tomorrow, then head directly for the airport. Besides being a member of NATO, Spain is a member of the European Union, and will assume the bloc’s six-month presidency at the end of July 2023. In addition, Spanish General Aroldo Lázaro Sáenz leads the multinational UNIFIL peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon.
Cohen will speak about the importance of Europe taking a firm stance against Iran, according to an Israeli official.
Albares will lay out Madrid’s view of the Middle East and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and its plans for closer ties with Israel during Spain’s EU presidency, a Spanish official tells The Times of Israel.
The foreign minister is also slated to fly to India on May 9 for a three-day visit.
The Times of Israel Community.