Israel, Venezuela agree to renew consular ties for 1st time in 17 yrs

The Venezuelan National Assembly, Caracas, Venezuela. /VCG The Venezuelan National Assembly, Caracas, Venezuela. /VCG Israel and Venezuela have agreed to renew consular ties for the first time in 17 years despite the absence of diplomatic relations, Israel's Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.The agreement followed talks between Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar and Venezuelan Foreign Minister Felix Plasencia, the ministry added.In a statement, the ministry said both governments recognized the importance of the ties between Israel and the Jewish community in Venezuela, calling the community "an important historical bridge of friendship between the two countries."Under the agreement, the two countries will establish a coordination mechanism to provide consular services to their citizens residing in each other's country.Relations between Israel and Venezuela, which severed diplomatic relations in 2009, began to thaw after US forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in January and removed him from the country.(With input from Xinhua)