Israel, Bhutan establish formal relations

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel and Bhutan have announced the establishment of full diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The agreement Saturday will “open the path to greater cooperation and further strengthen relations” between Israel and the South Asian kingdom, according to a joint statement.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed the deal, writing on Twitter that it is an “additional fruit of the peace agreements.” He added that Israel was in contact with more countries to normalize relations.

The agreement with Bhutan looks separate from U.S. efforts that led to the normalization of ties between Israel and four Arab countries, including the United Arab Emirates, in recent months.

The foreign ministers of Israel and Bhutan held secret talks that resulted in the agreement.