Mike Pompeo
Mike PompeoReuters

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Sunday welcomed Bolivia’s announcement that it would renew its diplomatic ties with Israel.

“We welcome the statement from Foreign Minister Longaric that Bolivia will work to reestablish diplomatic ties with Israel and the transitional government’s desire to engage with the world’s democracies as it moves towards free and fair elections,” Pompeo tweeted.

Bolivia's Foreign Minister Karen Longaric announced this past Thursday that the country intends to renew its diplomatic relations with Israel, which were severed by former President Evo Morales in 2009.

Longaric said the government plans to renew relations with Israel, a move that may benefit local tourism, but did not specify an exact date for the move.

Morales resigned on November 10 following weeks of unrest over a disputed election that he had claimed to win. He then fled to Mexico.

Bolivia broke off diplomatic relations with Israel in 2009 over a military operation in Gaza. In 2014, Morales described Israel as a “terrorist state” due to its counterterrorism Operation Protective Edge in Gaza.