Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi welcomed Bahraini Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism Zayed bin Rashid Al-Zayani to Jerusalem on Wednesday
The leaders announced a number of bilateral agreements that will help bolster tourism, sports, culture, science and technology, and the economies of both nations.
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"These are wonderful days," Netanyahu declared. "We signed several agreements and more are in the works, but more importantly is the understanding that this is real peace between our peoples, which will lead to economic benefits that cannot even have been imagined just a few months ago."
Ashkenazi said, "As ministers, we are committed to bringing about the implementation of the agreements, as soon as possible, so that the peoples of our countries can soon enjoy the fruits of the peace for which we have dreamed."
Al Zayani arrived in Israel on Tuesday, heading a 40-person business and trade delegation that will be in the country until Thursday.
"Such a delegation symbolizes first and foremost the normalization of relations between the countries and our common desire to promote change in the Middle East," Ashkenazi added.
Al Zayani said he was "convinced" that the implementation of the Abraham Accords will have a lasting impact on both Israeli and Bahraini citizens, adding he hoped they could serve as a guide for other countries to follow in the region.
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"We are eager to launch direct flights between Bahrain and Tel Aviv," the Bahraini minister said after his meeting with Ashkenazi. "With us today in the delegation is a significant team presence from Gulf Air, our national carrier, to make sure that gets established and up and running as soon as possible."
He added: "We have a diversified economy and we feel that there are similarities between our economies. We will be able to cooperate in order to give a better life to our citizens," he concluded.
