The Governments of the State of Israel and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela on Tuesday announced an agreement to restore consular relations following talks held in recent weeks between Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar and his Venezuelan counterpart, Félix Plasencia.
As part of the discussions, the two sides agreed to establish a dedicated coordination mechanism that will provide consular services to citizens of both countries. The move creates the first formal coordination channel between Israel and Venezuela since diplomatic relations were severed in 2009.
The two countries also agreed to continue cooperating on emergency response and reconstruction efforts following the twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24.
Israel sent a humanitarian aid delegation to Venezuela following the quakes, and the delegation remained in Venezuela for approximately one month before returning home.
The delegation's visit sparked subsequent discussions between senior officials from both sides, and the two countries later agreed to continue bilateral technical cooperation arising from the emergency response and recovery efforts following the earthquakes.
Israel and Venezuela have also agreed to establish a coordination mechanism to enable the provision of consular services, as needed, to their citizens residing in the other country.
"Both governments recognize the importance of the relationship between the State of Israel and the Jewish community in Venezuela, which serves as an important bridge of historic friendship between the two countries," the statement added.