(Communicated by the President's Office)

President Reuven Rivlin met on Sunday morning (1 February 2015) at the President's Residence with 20 Israeli ambassadors to Latin America, both currently serving and newly appointed.

The President thanked the ambassadors for their efforts and said, "I salute you, who serve as our representatives in states where such representation is so needed, at times under difficult conditions and far from home. The people of Israel owe you a debt of gratitude. The growing economic relations between Israel and Latin America is a source of pride to the Israeli economy and testament to its strength as a hothouse of innovation and entrepreneurship. I view this meeting as a unique opportunity for the State of Israel to thank each of you for the work you do in the countries in which you represent our country."

Modi Ephraim, Deputy Director General of the Foreign Ministry's Division for Central and South America and Head of the Political Directorate, presented the ambassadors, saying: "The ambassador here serve in the Latin American continent. This is a friendly continent, with which we have had good relations throughout the years. There are however several countries which are more critical. There are many anti-Israeli initiatives and unfortunately also manifestations of antisemitism which we had not witnessed before. We are striving to improve Israel's position in the region, and have been accepted as an observer in the Pacific Alliance, a growing economic bloc in the continent. Israel is today a leader in innovation and cooperation, in the fields of agriculture and security."