"The Kingdom of Bhutan and Israel signed tonight, 12.12.2020, the establishment of full diplomatic relations. The signing ceremony was held at the residence of the Israeli Ambassador to India, Dr. Ron Malka," the ministry said in a statement.
It added that Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi and his Bhutanese counterpart, Tandi Dorji, held talks last weekend, during which the sides discussed a plan for cooperation between the countries in the field of water management, agriculture and health.
"The establishment of relations between us and the Bhutan Kingdom will serve as another milestone in deepening Israel's ties in the Asian region," Ashkenazi said, as quoted in the statement.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has welcomed the news, saying the talks with other countries wishing to join the process of normalizing relations with the Jewish state were underway.
"I welcome the establishment of relations between Israel and Bhutan, which is another fruit of the peace agreements. We are in contact with other countries that want to join and establish relations with us," Netanyahu said.
The Israeli and Bhutanese foreign ministries held secret negotiations over the past year toward the goal of establishing diplomatic ties.