Papua New Guinea inaugurates Jerusalem's fifth foreign embassy
Netanyahu congratulated the government of Papua New Guinea for its decision, emphasizing that it will deepen relations between the two nations
Papua New Guinea officially opened its embassy in Jerusalem on Tuesday, becoming the fifth foreign embassy to establish a presence in the capital city.
The inauguration ceremony took place in the presence of Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea James Marapa, Minister of Foreign Affairs Eli Cohen, and the mayor of Jerusalem, along with a distinguished ministerial delegation from Papua New Guinea.
Netanyahu expressed his deep appreciation for the occasion, stating, "I was very moved when I heard your anthem. I heard the words 'prayer' and 'hope.' The origin of most of these prayers is this city."
"As you rightly pointed out, it has been our capital for three thousand years. It is the source of a significant part of our heritage. This is where our values were shaped; here our prophets prophesied. Here, the many eternal values we cherish were created and spread."
Netanyahu praised Papua New Guinea for its commitment to shared values and for becoming the first country from the Asia-Pacific region to open an embassy in Jerusalem.
Cohen remarked on the significance of strengthening Jerusalem's international status, saying, "Strengthening the international status of Jerusalem is strengthening the international status of the State of Israel."
He congratulated the government of Papua New Guinea for its decision, emphasizing that it will deepen relations between the two nations.
During Marapa's visit to Israel, discussions were held with Netanyahu and Cohen on expanding cooperation between the two countries, particularly in advanced agriculture.