Israel and Rwanda have resumed diplomatic relations, broken off in 1973 during the Yom Kippur War.
Ambassador Gad Ya’acobi, Israel’s permanent representative to the United Nations, signed the accord restoring ties with his Rwandan counterpart, Ambassador Marzi Bakuramutsa, at the Israeli mission to the United Nations on Oct. 11.
At the ceremony, Ya’acobi spoke of Israel’s recent assistance to Rwandan refugees in Zaire.
Israel provided a field hospital and medical team as part of the international aid effort on behalf of the victims of the civil war in Rwanda.
Bakuramutsa spoke of his country’s desire for cooperation in the fields of technology and defense.
According to Menashe Zipori, Israel’s ambassador to Kenya, Israel was approached by the new Rwandan government to re-establish diplomatic ties very soon after it took control in June.
Rwanda became No. 148 on the growing roster of countries with which Israel has diplomatic relations.
(JTA correspondent Deborah Kazis in Kigali, Rwanda, contributed to this story.)
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