Bahrain and neighbour the United Arab Emirates normalised
relations with Israel on Sept. 15, a U.S.-brokered pact
motivated by business prospects as well as shared worries about
Iran.
Meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem,
Bahrain's minister for industry, commerce and tourism, Zayed bin
Rashid al-Zayani, said he saw an "immense opportunity to even
develop (ties) further, not just in terms of business - in terms
of culture, sport, exchange, tourism".
The Economy Ministry trade forecast anticipated growth in
Israeli exports to Bahrain of diamonds and refined metals for
chemicals, and of imports of oil and aluminium from Bahrain.
A Sept. 13 memorandum by Israel's Intelligence Ministry said
that Bahrain, where a Sunni Muslim minority rules a sometimes
restive Shi'ite majority population, "may voice interest in
(acquiring) Israeli military and security technologies".
Manama has not commented on this. Israel does not publish
country-specific defence export data.
(Writing by Dan Williams; Editing by Angus MacSwan)
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