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Slovakia latest to announce opening of cultural consulate in Jerusalem

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Slovakian National Council Speaker Andrej Danko announced that his country will open a cultural consulate in Jerusalem.

By: World Israel News Staff

Slovakia will open a cultural consulate in Jerusalem, Slovakian National Council Speaker Andrej Danko announced while visiting Israel on Tuesday.

Danko and Czech Senate President Milan Štěch recently visited the Knesset together as part of the itinerary of events commemorating Israel’s 70th anniversary and 100 years since the establishment of Czechoslovakia.

“I am full of hope that this is the first of a series of steps that will follow,” said MP Martin Glváč, who heads the Slovakian National Council’s Slovakian-Israeli friendship committee.

“This is a tremendous diplomatic achievement for Israel and a pleasant surprise for all of us,” Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein said, thanking the Slovaks. “I am certain that when additional delegations arrive here, they will understand Jerusalem is Israel’s eternal capital.”

At the Knesset, Danko said that his country shares with Israel “the same values. The relations between us are excellent, and we appreciate your wisdom and experience.”

Legislation in the Knesset serves as an inspiration for his country, he added, as the definition of anti-Semitism in Slovakian law is based on Israeli law.

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The Czech Republic opened an honorary consulate and culture center in Jerusalem in May. In late April, Czech President Miloš Zeman announced a “three stage” plan to relocate the country’s embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, which included the reopening of the consulate.

The United States, Guatemala, and Paraguay have relocated their embassies to Jerusalem.

A number of other countries have expressed interest in moving their embassies in Israel to Jerusalem, among them Honduras and Romania.

In April 2017, the Russian Foreign Ministry made a similar move to recognize “west Jerusalem” as the Israeli capital.

In the latest development, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was told in June by Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov that his country will open an honorary consulate in Jerusalem.