Minister preparing trip to Israel

In April or May, foreign minister Jenis av Rana will travel to Israel as part of the government’s plan to open a representation office in the country.

According to newspaper Sosialurin, the minister will be accompanied on his trip by a number of Faroese industry figures.

“Faroese industry representatives have contacted potential clients in Israel, but this has proved a challenge due to the lack of formal ties between the two nations,” says Rana.

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In preparation for the trip, the minister has arranged a meeting with the Israeli ambassador to Denmark early next month.

Parliament has earmarked DKK 2.5 million in this year’s budget for a representation office in Israel, but it is estimated that the annual running costs for this office would be closer to DKK 4 million.

The foreign minister admits that he would prefer the new representation office to be located in Jerusalem, but having listened to opposing views on this, he says the most important thing is that a Faroese representation office opens somewhere in Israel.

Translated by prosa.fo