Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, on a historic visit to Sweden, held a meeting with Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Bilström on Monday, where he opened a new page in relations between Israel and the Scandinavian kingdom after 20 years of political disagreements and lack of high-level dialogue.

Cohen became the first Israeli foreign minister to visit Sweden in 22 years.

The foreign ministers of both states noted a marked change in Sweden's approach to Israel, both bilaterally and in international arenas, and discussed ways to strengthen economic ties between the countries.

Cohen and Bilström touched on Sweden's expected accession to NATO, which, according to the Israeli minister, "could be an excellent opportunity for Israel to strengthen economic ties with Sweden and expand trade between the countries in the areas of security, innovation, and financial technology.