Today, the Argentine Foreign Ministry and the Embassy of Israel held a jointly organized ceremony to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.
Foreign Minister Jorge Faurie and the Israeli Ambassador to Argentina, Ilan Sztulman, presided over the ceremony, which was held at the Manuel Belgrano Auditorium of the Argentine Foreign Ministry and was attended by members of the foreign diplomatic corps, national authorities and cultural and academic representatives, as well as representatives of the private sector and of Argentine Jewish community organizations.
Faurie recalled that Argentina was one of the first Latin American countries to establish diplomatic relations with Israel, in 1949, and that both countries share an excellent relationship, marked by deep historical and cultural ties.
The Foreign Minister stated that "Argentina and Israel have had a friendly relationship for 70 years" and that "Argentine and Israeli people are connected by historical ties and by the values we defend: freedom, democracy and, especially, dialogue between different peoples and regions."
He also highlighted the role of "the Jewish community in Argentina, one of the most important and numerous Jewish communities in the world, which has made remarkable contributions to the cultural and trade growth of our nation, as well as to science and knowledge."
The Foreign Minister also mentioned the official visit to Argentina by the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, in September 2017, which was the first visit by an Israeli Head of Government in office to the Argentine Republic and gave new impetus to the multiple bilateral bonds between both countries. "It signalled the fact that Argentina serves as a reference point for relations with our region," added Faurie.
During the ceremony, a message from the President of Israel, Reuven Rivlin, was shown and the Embassy of Israel paid homage to the first Argentine Ambassador to the State of Israel, Pablo Manguel. In addition, the Argentine Postal Service officially launched a stamp commemorating the establishment of diplomatic relations.
In relation to the new anniversary of the bombing of the Argentine Israelite Mutual Association (AMIA) in 1994, and the attack perpetrated against the Embassy of Israel in 1992, Foreign Minister Faurie stated that the Argentine Government is fully committed to providing justice for victims.
