Guatemala's foreign minister said this week that the country's economy only improved after moving its Israeli embassy to Jerusalem.
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Mario Bucaro spoke on the occasion of Israel and Guatemala signing a free trade deal, which will include industry, food, and agricultural goods.
According to the Economy Ministry, the agreement will come into effect after final ratification by the two countries. Trade between Israel and Guatemala reached $40 million in 2021, rising by 11% from 2020.
Video: Ariel Kahana
While Guatemala mostly exports food and produce, Israel exports rubber, plastic, chemicals, and machinery which constitutes nearly 77% of the trade between the states.
Bucaro, who is also Guatemala's ambassador to Israel, said the deal "is an opportunity for businesspeople to export their goods to Israel and the Middle East in general. It's about coffee, sugar, cardamom, and tropical vegetables and fruits."
He has invested greatly in strengthening ties between the two countries and has even learned a little Hebrew along the way and can sing the Israeli national anthem, Hatikvah.
"The meaning of your anthem is hope, and this is a value in which we also believe in Guatemala," Bucaro said.
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