Cabinet Approves First Resident Israeli Envoy to Slovenia

The cabinet on July 5 unanimously approved Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar's proposal to appoint Ruth Cohen-Dar as Israel's first resident ambassador in Ljubljana. The decision completes the approval track after the Foreign Ministry appointments committee cleared Cohen-Dar on June 28 and as Israel prepares to open its first physical embassy in Slovenia. Cohen-Dar had served until now as Israel's non-resident ambassador to Slovenia and Malta, and Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa welcomed the move as a new era in ties. After years of Slovenian hostility toward Israel, Jerusalem is using a friendlier government to rebuild a European diplomatic foothold.