​(Communicated by the President’s Spokesperson)

President Reuven Rivlin this morning (Thursday, 8 November 2018), received diplomatic credentials from the new Ambassadors of Croatia, Jordan, the Czech Republic, Egypt and Mongolia to the State of Israel at a ceremony at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem. As each ambassador arrived, their country’s flag was raised and the Israel Police Band played their national anthem. The ambassadors inspected a IDF guard of honor and presented their credentials to the president. After an audience with the president, the new ambassadors signed the guest book and Hatikvah, the Israeli national anthem, was played at the end of the ceremony.
 
The first to present her credentials was the new ambassador of Croatia, Vesela Mrđen Korać. The president welcomed her and said, “I visited Croatia this year and was received warmly. Please send my warm regards to the president and prime minister of your country.” He also said, “as a member of the European Union, Croatia plays a key role in blocking Iranian influence. We must ensure that Iran does not continue to destabilize our region.”
 
The Croatian ambassador thanked the president for his warm and kind welcome and said, “I had the pleasure of meeting you on your visit to Croatia in July, and we are looking forward to our president’s reciprocal state visit to Israel next year. Our countries have close and strong relations, and we are interested in deepening them even further into regular dialog. Croatia is a strong friend and ally of Israel at the UN, in NATO and in the European Union.”
 
The next to present his credentials was the incoming ambassador of Jordan, Ghassan Majali. President Rivlin welcomed him and noted that next year we will mark the 25th anniversary of the Israeli-Jordanian peace treaty. “We are determined to live in peace with our neighbors, and we are hopeful and optimistic that others will do as you have done. The good relations between our two countries are a legacy of the leadership of the late King Hussein. Please send my warmest wishes to His Majesty King Abdullah II.”
 
The president continued: “We appreciate the key role that Jordan plays as an island of stability in our region. But we can still do more to broaden cooperation in areas that impact on both our peoples. We breath the same air and live on the same piece of land. When you lack water, we lack water. We must do more to find ways of confronting these challenges together. Another important project is the ‘Jordan Gateway’ that could link the port of Haifa to Irbid, Amman and Aqaba, and from there to the Arab world, creating thousands of jobs.”
 
The Jordanian ambassador presented his credentials and he, too, noted the important anniversary of the peace treaty that will be celebrated next year: “We remember the huge efforts made by great leaders, the late King Hussein and the late Yizhak Rabin, who stood firm in the face of all odds,” he added. “King Abdullah believes that the peace treaty is a cornerstone for peace in the region and in the world and that a breakthrough in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process is a top priority for the Hashemite Kingdom. Thank you for your warm welcome, Mr. President.”
 
The president added, “We do not only live in the same neighborhood, we are really neighbors. We drink the same water and we breathe the same air. It is time that our two peoples get to know each other better.”
 
Following this, the president received the credentials of Martin Stropnick, the new Czech ambassador. “I am so happy you are here. You left a very important position in government to be your country’s ambassador to Israel. That says something about the good relations between our two countries,” he continued, and emphasized the excellent bilateral relations between Israel and the Czech Republic and that Israel would be delighted to continue to develop and deepen areas of cooperation. President Rivlin thanked the Czech people for its assistance to the young State of Israel in the war of independence, and recalled that the first rifle he handled as a recruit to the IDF was Czech-manufactured. At the end of their conversation, the president stressed the importance of the Czech Republic’s position on Iran. “Israel is a true friend of Israel, supporting us on every issue and in every forum.” The president sent his warmest wishes to President Zeman, who will be visiting Israel soon, to the Czech government and the Czech people.
 
The Czech ambassador thanked the president and said, “our two peoples have so many areas of cooperation, but I’d like to mention our work together on cyber, on water management and innovation. Lots of Czech tourists already come to Israel, but since my appointment as ambassador to Israel was announced I have found I have lots of new friends, and so I can assure you that the ambassador’s residence will be full, adding even more visitors to Israel,” said the ambassador, smiling.
 
The next to present his credentials to the president was the incoming Egyptian ambassador, Khaled Azmi. The president began by noting that in a few months time we will mark the 40th anniversary of the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty. He said he hoped that a way could be found to celebrate the event and to pass on the values of peace and partnership to the next generations. “Since the peace treaty was signed nearly 40 years ago, we have welcomed six Egyptian ambassadors. Now you are the seventh. I wish you success during your time here.”
 
The president also said, “We face similar challenges and our military and intelligence cooperation is of strategic importance. Together, we can face the challenges of terrorism and ISIS in Sinai and Gaza better. Under the leadership of your president, Egypt plays a key role in the Arab world as a voice of reason and moderation. We appreciate your efforts towards stability in the region, and particularly with the Palestinians in Gaza.”
 
The Egyptian ambassador thanked the president for his warm welcome and spoke about the anniversary of the peace treaty: “it was an important step and the vision of great statesmen, and it remains a pillar of stability and an example that should be followed around the region. Egypt remains committed to the peace treaty and to bringing peace to the whole region. We are proud of our history, which is a model of tolerance, co-existence and acceptance.”
 
The president added: “The Egyptian people play an important role in our region. There are advantages to peace, and ‘no more war’ is not just a phrase. It is important that the two peoples get to know each other.”
 
Finally, the president received the credentials of the Mongolian ambassador, Bold Ravdan. “I am pleased that such a distinguished and experienced diplomat is representing Mongolia in Israel,” said the president. “Our two countries cooperate on education and I’m pleased that we have recently extended the cooperation in the fields of culture, education and science.”
 
“It’s a great honor to represent my government and my people as the Mongolian ambassador to Israel,” said the ambassador. “Israel is a proud and spirited country, and there is great potential for the expansion of our relations. We would be happy to do so,” he said.