Israel is quite capable of supporting a country of 200,000.
The government of Samoa is officially beginning preparations for the opening of its diplomatic mission in Jerusalem. The Prime Minister of the island nation, Laauli Leuatea Schmidt, announced that he has given the appropriate instructions to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This decision was announced during a special prayer service "Samoa for Israel," where the head of government emphasized the intention to launch the office by 2026.
With this step, Samoa follows the example of other Oceania countries – Fiji and Papua New Guinea, which previously moved their missions to the Israeli capital.
Upon completion of all procedures, Samoa will become the eighth country in the world with an embassy in Jerusalem, joining the USA, Guatemala, Honduras, Kosovo, Paraguay, and its Pacific neighbors.
It is noteworthy that diplomatic relations between Jerusalem and Apia have been maintained since 1972 and include active cooperation in the fields of health, technology, and agriculture. Currently, Israel's interests in Samoa are represented by the embassy in Wellington (New Zealand), however, the opening of a permanent mission of Samoa in Jerusalem is intended to elevate bilateral dialogue to a new level.
Samoa has been a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, the United Nations (UN) and its specialized agencies, the Asian Development Bank, the Pacific Islands Forum, the International Monetary Fund, the World Trade Organization, and other international organizations since 1976.
The status of East Jerusalem, and especially its holy sites, remains a key and highly controversial topic in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and a subject of heated discussions.
The final status of all of Jerusalem is one of the most significant areas of disagreement between Palestinian and Israeli negotiators regarding peace. Areas of disagreement include questions about whether the Palestinian flag can be raised over areas under Palestinian control and the specifics of Israeli and Palestinian territorial borders.
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