Hungary Opens Diplomatic Trade Mission to Israel in Jerusalem

(Bloomberg) -- Hungary became on Tuesday the first European nation in decades to open a diplomatic mission to Israel in Jerusalem, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.

The trade mission will be staffed by three Hungarian diplomats, Netanyahu said at a ribbon-cutting dedication ceremony. He said that the office is being opened only four weeks after Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban visited Israel and pledged to do so.

“It’s important for trade, for diplomacy and for the movement being led by Hungary to change the way Jerusalem is viewed in Europe,” Netanyahu said.

Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto said that ”economic, trade and investment relations between Hungary and Israel are expanding dynamically.”

To contact the reporter on this story: Alisa Odenheimer in Jerusalem at aodenheimer@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Shaji Mathew at shajimathew@bloomberg.net, Gwen Ackerman

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