Foreign Minister of Israel Eli Cohen is expected to soon leave for Turkmenistan – to officially inaugurate a permanent Israeli embassy in the capital city of Ashgabat, media reports.

Reportedly, Israel had a temporary embassy in the Turkmen capital for about ten years.

In September 2022, Israel's Foreign Ministry said it approved the appointment of 51-year-old Ismail Khaldi as ambassador to Turkmenistan.

Khaldi, who worked in diplomatic missions in the United States and Eritrea, is the first Bedouin diplomat in the Jewish state.

After the collapse of the USSR, Israeli companies were the first to enter Turkmenistan's agricultural sector. Tel Aviv offered its services in cleaning, desalination, and water management.

In addition, Israel was also one of the pioneers in the reconstruction of Turkmenistan's largest oil refinery in the Caspian city.

 Credits: Eziz Boyarov