Nigeria, Israel seal pact on security, counter-terrorism, economic cooperation

Nigeria and Israel have committed to strengthening their cooperation in the areas of security, counter-terrorism, political dialogue, and economic development following a high-level meeting in Abuja.

The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, met with the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Israel, Sharren Miriam Haskel-Harpaz, in a political dialogue that underscored the enduring and strategic partnership between both nations.

The technical session of the meeting, co-chaired by Ambassador Janet Olisa, Director (Regions), Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Nigeria, and Ambassador Sharon Bar-Li, Deputy Director General, Head of Africa Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel, covered a wide range of multilateral, political, and economic issues, with particular emphasis on counter-terrorism and security collaboration.

According to a joint communique issued at the end of the political dialogue between Nigeria and Israel, the two countries agreed that the issue of security and terrorism was a global concern that requires the support and cooperation of every country.

After outlining some of the security challenges, both countries emphasized the need to deepen collaborations in the area of counter-terrorism, intelligence and sharing of information, especially in the area of financing and security training.

They emphasized the need for stronger collaboration at the multilateral level, especially in solidarity, on critical issues for each of the parties.

Other areas of interest covered during the meeting included the mutual desire to cooperate in the areas of technology, innovation for border management, capacity building, culture, tourism, agriculture, consular and immigration matters.

Both countries agreed that there should be an exchange of study tours between the countries.

The dialogue reaffirmed the commitment of both nations to building a more robust bilateral relationship, with both parties pledging to maintain constant communication on shared priorities.

The meeting was described as comprehensive and productive, with both sides endorsing the valuable ideas and initiatives exchanged during the deliberations.