(Communicated by the MFA Spokesperson)
Minister of Foreign Affairs Gabi Ashkenazi and Thai Ambassador to Israel Ms. Pannabha Chandraramya today (Monday, 13 July 2020) signed an agreement that will regulate the recruitment of 25,000 agricultural workers from Thailand. The agreement was signed in the presence of the Israel Minister of Agriculture Alon Shuster.
FM Ashkenazi: “This is an important and essential agreement for thousands of farmers in Israel. This agreement ensures the existence of the agricultural sector on the one hand and guarantees the rights of Thai agriculture workers on the other. We will continue to strive to develop and expand our relations with leading regional organizations in which Thailand plays a key role."
The agreement signed by the two countries this morning is the result of the work of negotiation teams that have worked in recent months to reach a result that will serve the needs of farmers in Israel on the one hand and Israeli-Thai interests on the other. The Israeli negotiating team included the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Population and Immigration Authority.
The agreement also ensures that agricultural workers from Thailand arrive in Israel legally and transparently and without paying illegal brokerage fees.
This agreement represents another layer in the warm relationship between the two countries that are marking the 66th anniversary since establishing diplomatic relations.
Minister of Agriculture Alon Shuster: “Professional and skilled manpower is one of the keys to the success of Israeli agriculture. Over the past several decades, agricultural workers from Thailand have made a significant contribution here, as evidenced by the desire of Israeli farmers to increase employee quotas. I welcome the partnership between the countries and hope we will expand it to additional areas in the future."