German Chancellor Angela Merkel (left) with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Photo: EJP.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel is expected to sign an agreement during a visit to Israel next week in which Germany will provide consular services to Israeli citizens in countries where the Jewish state does not have official representation, Israel’s Walla reported on Friday.

Israel’s ambassador to Germany, Yakov Hadas-Handelsman, said the offer was “a special message” from Germany and underscored the importance of relations between the two countries.

Merkel and her cabinet are expected to arrive in Israel on Monday for meetings with high ranking Israeli government officials including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Preparations for next year’s jubilee celebration of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Germany and Israel will be on the agenda.

Germany and Israel have held regular government consultations since 2008, an arrangement wherein the two sides meet at regular intervals to discuss specific topics.

The last such meeting was held in Berlin in December 2012. During that meeting, Merkel and Netanyahu disagreed over Israeli construction in areas the Palestinian Authority (PA) claims for a future state.