(Communicated by the Foreign Minister’s Bureau)

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Avigdor Liberman was in Mirandola on Monday to dedicate four mobile structures that will serve as a regional maternity hospital. This area, in the Emilia-Romagna district in northern Italy, was hard hit by an earthquake in May. The fully-equipped mobile structures were donated jointly by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Canadian philanthropist-businessman Walter Arbib, with the aid of the United Israel Appeal. Representing the UIA at the ceremony was Chair Eliezer (“Moody”) Sandberg.

FM Liberman said at the dedication ceremony that this is an additional expression of the strong relations between Israel and Italy and of the true friendship existing between the Italian and Israeli peoples. Italy aided Israel at the time of the giant Carmel fire, and Israel aided Italy following the last earthquake in 2009. This extensive cooperation between countries is also reflected on happier occasions and in many areas and, said Liberman, we are working together on further strengthening our relations.

On Monday FM Liberman also visited San Marino, the first Israeli minister ever to do so. In San Marino, the oldest republic in the world, Liberman met with the heads of state – the Captains Regent – and with State Secretary for Foreign and Political Affairs Antonella Mularoni.

In honor of this historic visit, a ceremony was held in which all of the members of the San Marino government were presented to FM Liberman. At the ceremony, the Israeli foreign minister planted an olive tree as a symbol of the strong relations between Israel and San Marino and said that cooperation between the two countries can be developed further in many diverse areas, including economic, technological and others. The tree-planting ceremony was conducted in cooperation with the JNF-KKL.