Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar attends a press conference with the Danish Foreign Minister (not pictured) in Jerusalem, Sept. 7, 2025. Photo: Ritzau Scanpix/Ida Marie Odgaard/via REUTERS

Israel plans to open an embassy in Slovenia, Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said late on Thursday, a sign of a thaw in relations since a new center-right government took power in Ljubljana.

The previous Slovenian government had recognized Palestinian state and banned entry for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. However, the new government under Prime Minister Janez Jansa will likely shift foreign policy in a different course.

“After years of the hostility of the previous government, we now have an opportunity to rebuild, strengthen, and deepen a real partnership,” Saar posted on X.

A diplomatic mission in Slovenia gives Israel a key foothold in the European Union and NATO.