28-30 October 2015
Joint Communique

Israel and Honduras share friendship and mutual appreciation that are reflected in the close bilateral relations of the two states.

President of Honduras Juan Orlando Hernández will be visiting Israel accompanied by a high-level delegation that includes the Honduras ministers of foreign affairs, defense, agriculture and national infrastructures, and the chief of staff of the Honduras armed forces. The visit testifies to the close relations between the two states and the importance accorded by Israel and Honduras to promoting and deepening their bilateral relations. President Hernández is a graduate of MASHAV, Israel's Agency for International Development Cooperation, the first MASHAV graduate to become a head of state.

In the past, Honduras has proven its commitment to Israel's security and continues to support Israel's right to live securely and in peace with its neighbors. The president of Honduras has called for both sides to return to the negotiating table in the spirit of the "two states for two peoples" solution.

Israel is following the efforts of the Honduras government to deal with the challenges confronting it and commends the government on its successes in combating violence, drug trafficking and organized crime, as well as the task force it has established, in cooperation with the Organization of American States (OAS), to fight against corruption and impunity and to contribute to strengthening the rule of law (MACCIH).

Honduras, together with its neighbors, is promoting a regional agenda that comprises bilateral agreements and the Plan for the Alliance for Prosperity, as well as national economic projects such as a land bridge between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans and the construction of logistical centers for the promotion of global trade.

As a graduate of MASHAV, President Hernández noted the important of Israeli aid to Honduras' development through the training of Honduras citizens in MASHAV courses in Israel and in Honduras.

Israel will continue to cooperate with Honduras, as it has over the years, in the fields of agriculture, education, health, science and technology, and water management, especially in light of the serious drought Honduras has been experiencing in the past year.

A course in agricultural water management is taking place right now in Honduras, given by an Israeli expert in the field, and another delegation is expected to leave in the coming weeks for Tegucigalpa to share Israeli know-how in combating desertification and dealing with a shortage of water for agriculture and drinking.

Agricultural cooperation with Honduras will focus on water management and irrigation, dairy cows, improved seeds and logistical aid for farmers. Israel will also share with Honduras the knowledge it has acquired in civilian security and cyber security.

This visit by the president of Honduras is an important element in the upgrading of relations between the two states and symbolizes the friendship between the two peoples, who share common values based on democracy, human rights, respect for law, the desire for development and growth, and the aspiration to peace.


Honduras  FM Arturo Corrales and MASHAV Director Gil Haskel sign agreement at President's Residence
Copyright: GPO/Mark Neiman