Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto in Jerusalem on March 19, 2019. Photo: Amos Ben-Gershom/GPO.

JNS.org – Hungary opened a diplomatic trade mission in Jerusalem on Tuesday, demonstrating close ties with Israel and becoming the first European country in decades to do so, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who, along with Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto, participated in the ribbon-cutting ceremony and unveiled the building’s plaque.

The Hungarian diplomatic trade mission in Jerusalem will be an extension of the Hungarian Embassy in Israel in Tel Aviv.

“This is a very exciting moment for us because it’s the first European diplomatic mission opened in Jerusalem in many decades, and three Hungarian diplomats are going to be assigned to this office for trade purposes,” said Netanyahu. “That’s important for trade, for diplomacy and for the move that Hungary is leading right now to change the attitude in Europe towards Jerusalem.”

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán announced the diplomatic trade mission last month while visiting Netanyahu in Israel.

Szijjarto told Netanyahu that Hungary will not follow the European Commission’s policy of labeling items that are produced in Judea and Samaria.

“We do not support the list of companies in the settlements to be announced by the high representative of Human Rights of the United Nations,” he said, “and we urge for a tighter, better and more dynamic cooperation between Israel and the European Union.”