Israel to open embassy in Slovenia as relations thaw

Israel Opens First Embassy in Slovenia as Diplomatic and Economic Ties Warm

Historic Diplomatic Shift and Economic Cooperation Between Israel and Slovenia

LJUBLJANA, Sept 9 (Reuters) - Israel will open its first embassy in Slovenia on Wednesday in a turnaround in relations between the countries after populist Janez Jansa formed a centre-right government this year.

The rapprochement comes as Israel faces growing diplomatic isolation elsewhere over its West Bank policies, including import bans by Britain, France and Canada on products from Israeli settlements.

Significance of the Embassy Opening

"This is the first resident embassy in Slovenia, it is indeed a historic day," Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said at a news conference with his Slovenian counterpart Tone Kajzer.

"This is a clear expression of Israel's commitment to our friendship and to its future," Saar added, thanking the Slovenian government and Prime Minister Janez Jansa for their friendship towards Israel.

Memorandum on Bilateral Cooperation

At the start of a two-day visit, Saar and Kajzer signed a memorandum on cooperation in the fields of education, science, culture, youth and sports between the two countries.

Economic Forum and Investment Prospects

A delegation of Israeli businessmen will also attend an economic forum later in the day which is expected to result in new investment, Kajzer said.

"After a long period of less intensive political contacts, it is time to shift cooperation between Slovenia and Israel into a higher gear," he told reporters.

Domestic Opposition and Political Reactions

Impeachment Proposal and Political Criticism

However, there was some opposition to the move in Slovenia.

The liberal Freedom Movement of former Prime Minister Robert Golob, joined by the Left party, on Wednesday submitted to parliament a proposal for impeachment of Jansa, primarily over his government's foreign policy which they said was exclusively in the interest of Israel.

Public Protests and Opposition Groups

Protests against the opening of the embassy are scheduled on Wednesday evening by student movements, a left-wing political opposition party and pro-Palestinian groups.

Background: Slovenia's Changing Foreign Policy

Previous Government's Stance

It marks a change in approach Slovenia, a tiny Alpine country which is a European Union and NATO military alliance member. Under the previous liberal government, it was one of a few European countries to recognise a Palestinian state.

Import Bans and Diplomatic Restrictions

Slovenia was also among the first EU countries to ban imports from the West Bank and entry for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his two hardline ministers, decisions that were quickly revoked by the new government.

(Reporting by Daria Sito-Sucic in Sarajevo and Alexander Cornwell in Tel Aviv; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne and Toby Chopra)