Foreign Minister Yair Lapid met with Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the Bahraini Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa and Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani in Manama on Thursday.
Lapid's was the first visit of an Israeli minister to Bahrain since the countries normalized relations, signing the Abraham Accords last September. The trip was less than a day long.
The foreign minister thanked Al Khalifa "for the privilege of being here today and taking another step together toward building our relations, in a model of partnership and coexistence between cultures and religions."
Lapid and Al Zayani discussed "cooperation between the countries and ways to make the official peace between the countries into an active friendship," the Foreign Ministry stated.
They also spoke about economic, security, diplomatic and civil matters, the readout said.
Also Thursday, Deputy Foreign Minister Idan Roll dedicated the first direct commercial flight from Bahrain to Israel, in a ceremony at Ben-Gurion Airport.
“We will continue to make history,” Roll said. “I turn wholeheartedly and eagerly to all the states of the region – join us in the peace accords for a better future for our nations and so that there will be a better world for our children and grandchildren.”
Roll said that “creating a direct air path between Israel and Bahrain is not only an important symbolic step, but it will increase trade, tourism and understanding between nations.”
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett met with Al Zayani on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly on Sunday, along with UAE Minister of State in the Foreign Ministry Khalifa Shaheen Almarar.
Bahrain's Ambassador to Israel Khaled Yousif al-Jalahama arrived last month. Eitan Na'eh will be Israel's ambassador to Bahrain, but he has not taken up his post yet, and Itay Tanger is serving as acting ambassador.