Between coronavirus Cabinet sessions Nov. 3, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with his Romanian counterpart Lufovic Orban. The Romanian prime minister is in Israel on a three-day visit that will also include a meeting in Ramallah with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh. Orban did not come to Jerusalem alone and brough along Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu and Defense Minister Nicolae Ciuca. In other words, all of Romania’s top leadership is in Israel until Nov. 5.

"Excellent meeting with Israeli PM Netanyahu. Reconfirmed our longstanding strategic interests, discussed prospects of further enhancing our ties plus regional security in the Middle East. Government-to-Government meeting 2021 will deepen bilateral cooperation (economy and security, technology and innovation, health and agriculture," tweeted Orban after his meeting with Netanyahu.

Israel’s esteemed Ambassador to Romania David Saranga, who had long labored for this visit, said after the meeting that the two heads of states "discussed the bilateral cooperation, the upcoming governmental dialogue, the developments within the Joint Economic Working Group and signed a mutual agreement on double taxation." The senior diplomat noted that apart from meeting Netanyahu, Orban also met with Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi and President Reuven Rivlin.  

These statements on both sides testify to the significant bilateral relations between Jerusalem and Bucharest in many domains — a  visit by a close ally that came just in time for Netanyahu while he waits for the results of the US presidential elections.