Israel and Venezuela agreed to renew consular relations and establish an official coordination channel after 17 years without diplomatic ties, the countries said in a joint announcement on Tuesday.
The move creates an official channel of coordination between Israel and Venezuela, which have not maintained diplomatic relations since 2009.
The agreement followed talks held in recent weeks and days between Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar and Venezuelan Foreign Minister Félix Plasencia.
During the talks, the two sides agreed to establish a coordination mechanism that will enable consular services to be provided to citizens of both countries. The statement also emphasized the importance of ties between the State of Israel and Venezuela's Jewish community.
Israel and Venezuela agree to continue coordination after massive earthquake
Additionally, following the earthquake and the humanitarian crisis in Venezuela, the pair also agreed to continue cooperating on emergency response and recovery efforts. An Israeli delegation was deployed there in June and has since helped tens of thousands of Venezuelans return to their homes.
The Venezuelan government’s receipt of Israeli assistance contrasts with the complete cut-off in relations between the countries dating back to 2009.
In the aftermath, officials estimated that at least 5,000 people died.
Yonah Jeremy Bob contributed to this report.