Israel's Foreign Minister Yair Lapid began a landmark visit Thursday to Bahrain where he will open the Israeli embassy one year after the US-brokered normalisation of ties, AFP reports. 

The Israeli top diplomat touched down at Manama airport, where a Gulf Air plane was due to take off for the first commercial flight between the two countries shortly afterwards.

Lapid is making Israel's first bilateral ministerial visit to Bahrain, part of a thaw in regional relations after the United Arab Emirates, Morocco and Sudan also established ties last year under agreements known as the Abraham Accords.

The Arab countries involved in the Abraham Accords have stressed the economic benefits of ties with Israel, with half a billion dollars in trade already reported with the UAE.

The UAE, Bahrain and Morocco became the first Arab states in decades to normalise relations with Israel last year, following negotiations spearheaded by former US president Donald Trump.

The Jewish state had earlier reached peace treaties with neighbouring Egypt and Jordan.

News.Az