Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz praised Armenia’s decision to open an embassy in Tel Aviv.

He called it a “significant step in the development of bilateral relations” between the two states”, The Jerusalem Post reported.

At its Cabinet session on Thursday, the government of Armenia reached a decision to open an embassy in Israel between late 2019 and early 2020.

Armenia will be the 90th country to open an embassy in Israel, which “attests to the constant increase in the strength of Israel’s position in the world,” according to Katz.

Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Nizar Amer, in turn, said that opening of the embassy reflects the significant improvement of ties between the two countries that has taken place over the last year.

“The opening of the embassy is a new and important chapter in bilateral relations, and we are confident that this will further strengthen the friendship between the two peoples and enhance cooperation between the states in all areas,” Amer said.

Asked whether Israel, in turn, plans to open an embassy in Armenia, Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan said as follows: “It’s on the agenda of our dialogue. [But] we [Armenia] will not condition our steps on the circumstance of Israel opening an embassy in the Republic of Armenia; but that has been and remains on our agenda. Our [Armenia’s] presence in Israel will strengthen our arguments and the matter we raise that we have an Israeli Embassy here [in Armenia], too.”