Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio speaks to journalists after casting his vote for national elections at a polling station in Freetown, Sierra Leone, June 24, 2023. REUTERS/Cooper Inveen

i24 News — President of the Republic of Sierra Leone Julius Maada Wonie Bio spoke with Israel’s Foreign Minister Eli Cohen on the phone and said that his government intends to establish an embassy in Jerusalem.

The two countries established official relations in 1961 when Sierra Leone gained independence. However, the West African state doesn’t maintain a diplomatic mission in Israel.

Israel also doesn’t have an embassy in the capital of Freetown. It is represented through its embassy in Senegal.

Last week, Foreign Minister Cohen announced that Uruguay would open a new diplomatic office in Jerusalem, after meeting the Latin American country’s president and foreign minister. This comes shortly after Paraguay announced it will move its embassy back to Jerusalem.