Israel and Honduras will open embassies in each other’s capital cities before the end of this year, according to a statement released on Sunday by the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office.
The joint announcement came following a conversation earlier in the day between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, said the statement. During their talk, the two leaders reaffirmed the close ties between Jerusalem and Tegucigalpa, and Hernández also congratulated Netanyahu on the historic agreements with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, known as the Abraham Accords.
The Honduran leader also extended his best wishes for Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.
“Today, with their flags flying over each other’s capital cities, Israel and Honduras wish to announce the intention to complete the plan of action, before the end of this year, with the reciprocal opening and inauguration of their embassies in the national capitals, Tegucigalpa and Jerusalem,” said the statement.
Following a trilateral meeting in Brazil in 2019 between Netanyahu, Hernández and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, the three countries agreed to strengthen their political ties and to coordinate cooperation on development in Honduras, and also to “pursue a plan of action, which includes meetings in their three respective capitals, to advance the process of the decision to open embassies in both Tegucigalpa and Jerusalem.”
In March 2019, Honduras recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and a month later opened its commercial office in the city. Israel reciprocated on Aug. 20, 2020, opening its trade and cooperation office in Tegucigalpa.
In his conversation with the Honduran leader, Netanyahu expressed his appreciation for the “authentic friendship and steadfast support” that Israel has received from Honduras, and reiterated Israel’s commitment to strengthening this partnership through development, cooperation, tourism, investment, technology, agriculture, education and trade.
Representatives of the UAE and Bahrain met with Netanyahu at the White House on Sept. 15 to sign the Abraham Accords, bringing the number of Arab nations to have concluded peace treaties with the Jewish state to four, after Egypt and Jordan.
