Israel is planning to open an embassy in Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, for the first time, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar announced in a Thursday X/Twitter post.
Sa’ar added that he has already instructed Foreign Ministry Director-General Eden Bar Tal to begin the process of establishing the new embassy and the selection process for an ambassador.
The move has already been approved by the newly reelected Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa and the Slovenian parliament.
"The election of Prime Minister Janez Jansa marks a new chapter in relations between Israel and Slovenia," Sa'ar wrote. "After years of the hostility of the previous government - we now have an opportunity to rebuild, strengthen, and deepen a real partnership."
"An Israeli embassy is more than a diplomatic mission. It is a statement of friendship, dialogue, and a shared belief in freedom, democracy, and security. We are turning today a new page."
Slovenian PM: 'Looking forward to new era in Slovenia-Israel relations'
Jansa responded to Sa'ar's post on X with his own, saying that he is "looking forward to a new era in Slovenia-Israel relations."
Jansa was re-elected on May 22. This is his fourth time in the role, having previously served from 2004-2008, 2012-2013, and 2020-2022. Jansa leads the right-wing Slovenian Democratic Party.
Under Jansa's predecessor, Robert Golob, Slovenia became one of the most hostile countries towards Israel, alongside Ireland and Spain. In May 2024, Slovenia announced its recognition of a Palestinian state, and in July 2025, Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich were also sanctioned under his government.
Slovenia then imposed a travel ban on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. It also imposed an arms embargo on Israel and boycotted the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna due to Israel’s participation.
Jansa is a long-time supporter of Israel. He condemned Golob’s recognition of Palestine as a state, calling it “illegal.” He has repeatedly supported Israel’s right to defend itself, making statements such as “Israel has the unequivocal right to defend itself against Hamas’s attacks. We stand with Israel.”
Sa'ar attends opening of Fiji's new Israel embassy after 30 years
On Tuesday, Sa'ar attended the opening of Israel's new embassy in Fiji's capital, Suva, 30 years after the previous one was closed.
In a post on Twitter/X, Sa’ar said the talks focused on strengthening bilateral ties and thanked Fiji for its support of Israel in multilateral forums.
"Together with [Police] Minister Ioane Naivalurua, we signed agreements on national security cooperation and diplomatic training," Sa'ar wrote.
"Today’s historic step reflects our intent to deepen the Israel-Fiji friendship!"
The embassy opening follows Fiji’s own decision to open an embassy in Jerusalem.
Mathilda Heller and Shir Perets contributed to this report.