Israel Renews Diplomatic Ties With the Republic of Guinea

By Yoni Weiss

YERUSHALAYIM – In Paris on Wednesday, Foreign Ministry Director General Dore Gold signed an agreement with a representative of the government of the Guinean Republic, Ibrahim Khalil Kaba, to resume diplomatic ties between the two countries, a diplomatic score for Israel as it looks to improve political and economic ties in the Muslim world.

The two countries severed ties in 1967, after the Six Day War.

In a statement Wednesday afternoon, the Foreign Ministry hailed the move, saying that both countries have come “full circle,” and urged other African countries who do not have a relationship with Israel to follow suit.

“The number of countries in Africa that still haven’t done so is getting smaller and we hope that soon there will not be any,” the statement noted.

Guinea, formerly known as French Guinea, is a country of some 10.5 million people, 85 percent of whom are Muslim.

The reinstalling of diplomatic ties comes after Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu spoke by phone with Guinean President Alpha Conde during his recent visit to Africa.