Sweden’s foreign minister visits Israel in effort to rebuild ties

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

ANKARA (AA) - Sweden’s foreign minister landed in Israel late Sunday in the first visit by the country’s top diplomat in 10 years.

"Just arrived in Israel. This official visit marks a new beginning in the relationship between [Israel and Sweden]," Ann Linde said on Twitter.

Noting that she will be meeting Monday with her Israeli counterpart Yair Lapid and President Isaac Herzog, she added: "This will be the first visit by a Swedish foreign minister to Israel in ten years."

Linde plans to visit the Palestinian city of Ramallah in the West Bank on the second day of her visit.

Diplomatic relations between the two countries were damaged when Sweden became the first member of the European Union to recognize the state of Palestine in 2014.