Paraguay will reopen its embassy in Israel in the coming weeks, after keeping it shuttered for almost a decade due to budgetary reasons. The country’s newly elected President Horacio Cartes informed Israeli officials of the decision on Wednesday.

Elkin’s office quoted Cartes as saying that he was interested in strengthening bilateral relations with Israel as well as pursuing an “independent” policy of supporting Israel in international forums, as opposed to the voting patterns of the vast majority of Latin American states.

The development will provide another data point to analysts seeking to evaluate claims that Israel is gradually becoming isolated from the international community, alongside evidence of deepening international ties grounded in Israeli security practices and of surging tourism numbers.

[Photo: Jean Claude Criton / YouTube]