Israel to open embassy in Slovenia as relations thaw

LJUBLJANA, Sept 9 (Reuters) - Israel will ‌open its first ​embassy in ​Slovenia on Wednesday in a turnaround in relations between the countries after populist Janez Jansa formed a centre-right government this year.

The rapprochement comes as Israel ‌faces growing diplomatic isolation elsewhere over its West Bank policies, including import bans ⁠by Britain, France and Canada on products from Israeli settlements.

"This is the first resident embassy in Slovenia, it ‌is indeed a historic day," ‌Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said at a news conference with his Slovenian counterpart Tone Kajzer.

"This is a clear expression of Israel's commitment to our friendship and to ​its future," Saar added, thanking the Slovenian government and Prime Minister Janez Jansa for their friendship towards Israel.

At the start of a two-day visit, Saar and Kajzer ⁠signed a memorandum on cooperation in the fields of education, science, culture, youth and sports between the two countries.

A delegation ​of Israeli businessmen will also attend an economic forum later in the day which is expected to result in new investment, Kajzer said.

"After ​a long period of less intensive political contacts, ‌it is time to shift cooperation between Slovenia and Israel into a higher gear," he told reporters.

However, there was some opposition to the ⁠move in Slovenia.

The liberal Freedom Movement of former Prime Minister Robert Golob, joined by the Left party, on Wednesday submitted to parliament a proposal for impeachment of Jansa, primarily over his government's foreign ⁠policy which they said was exclusively in the interest of Israel.

Protests against the opening of the embassy ​are scheduled on Wednesday evening by student movements, a left-wing political opposition party and pro-Palestinian groups.

It marks a change in approach Slovenia, a tiny Alpine country which is a European Union and NATO ‌military alliance member. Under the previous liberal government, it was one of a few European countries to recognise a Palestinian state.

Slovenia was ‌also among the first EU countries to ban imports from the West Bank and entry for ⁠Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and ‌his two hardline ministers, decisions ​that were quickly revoked by the new government.

(Reporting by Daria Sito-Sucic in Sarajevo and Alexander Cornwell in Tel Aviv; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne and ‌Toby Chopra)

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