Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu To Make Rare Visits To Romania, Bulgaria – Paper

While the visit has taken on increased importance in the run-up to the Palestinian statehood bid at the UN in September, diplomatic officials said the visits to Roman and Bulgaria - considered among the most friendly countries toward Israel in the EU - are not only about the Palestinian Authority's statehood move.

"These are countries where Israeli prime ministers don't generally travel," one official said. "It is important to promote relations with these countries. We find there is a lot of support and sympathy in Eastern Europe, and that we have natural friends there whom we want to cultivate. We want to show them we appreciate their friendship," the paper quoted Netanyahu as saying.

Netanyahu will be meeting Wednesday in Romania with his counterpart Emil Boc, as well as President Traian Basescu.

On Thursday, the Israeli prime minister will visit Bulgarian capital Sofia for meetings with Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov and President Georgi Parvanov.

Netanyahu will be accompanied on the trip to Bulgaria by some eight ministers who will take part in a joint government meeting. He is slated to return to Israel Thursday evening, the paper said.

Israel's relations with Romania and Bulgaria benefited from the deterioration in Israel's ties with Turkey, as Israel sought to spruce up its ties with Turkey's historic rivals in the region: Greece, Cyprus, Romania and Bulgaria. Israel also was forced, as a result of the breakdown of relations with Ankara, to look elsewhere for places for the air force to train, since Turkey - which once allowed such training - closed its skies to Israeli military aircraft.

If you liked this story, please follow MEDIAFAX.RO on FACEBOOK »

The content of mediafax.ro is for your information only. Republishing or using this content is forbidden without express consent of MEDIAFAX. For this consent, please ask for it by mail at vanzari@mediafax.ro.