Planned visit of Prime Minister Krivokapić and Minister Radulović to Israel as a strong impulse to strengthen relations between the two countries

The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro and the State of Israel, Đorđe Radulović and Gabi Ashkenazi, said in a telephone conversation today that the planned visit of Prime Minister Zdravko Krivokapic to that country will contribute to strengthening friendly relations, as well as deepening cooperation in tourism, science, technology and culture.

The Montenegrin foreign minister expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for inviting Montenegrin prime minister to visit Israel. At the same time, Minister Ashkenazi invited Minister Radulović to join the official visit, together with Prime Minister Krivokapić, which will be an excellent opportunity to discuss the most important areas for further improvement of relations at the Prime Minister's and Ministerial levels.

They jointly expressed satisfaction with the fact that, despite the pandemic, there is a great interest of Israeli tourists in Montenegro, with the expectation that the first flight from Tel Aviv to Tivat should be realized by the end of April.

It was also pointed out that there is room for improving economic cooperation through the development of high technologies and innovative projects, having in mind that Israel is considered to be the leading start-up country in the world. In this context, it was agreed to share experiences and best practices by Israeli experts.

It was concluded that intention of the Government to open the Montenegrin Embassy in Israel represents the proof of good relations between two countries. Also, two ministers praised the active role of the honorary consul of Montenegro in that country, who is continuously strengthening the ties between two nations.

In the context of the pandemic, Minister Radulović said that Montenegro respects Israeli success in the immunization process, which showed the effectiveness of their methodology and discipline practiced at the highest level. In addition to green passports, as he explained, this will also affect the greater mobility of Israeli tourists who are welcome in Montenegro.

Minister Ashkenazi said that Montenegro is an attractive and desirable destination for Israeli citizens, and that in the past he had opportunity to witness the beauty of Montenegrin coast.

Having in mind the growing anti-Semitism on a global level, Minister Radulović emphasized that we are proud of the fact that in Montenegro, which is based on the historical valuesof freedom and anti-fascism, public expression of anti-Semitic feelings have never been recorded.

Also, Minister Radulović said that the Jewish community in Montenegro is recognized and very active, which is confirmed by the signing of the Agreement on Mutual Relations with the Government, which recognizes Judaism as one of the official religions in the country.