Minister says Israel embassy dispute shows gap between words and deeds

Faroe Islands Foreign Affairs and Fisheries Minister Bárður á Steig Nielsen says there can be a gap between political words and actions, after Prime Minister Beinir Johannesen ruled out closing the country’s embassy in Israel, KVF reported.

Johannesen, who leads the People’s Party, said the embassy in Tel Aviv would remain open. He said á Steig Nielsen had been told this both before and after the draft budget was presented.

Á Steig Nielsen is responsible for the proposal to close the embassy. He said plans to close embassies began before the coalition agreement was signed and that the proposal concerning Tel Aviv was not made without reason.

Although Johannesen has now made clear that the embassy will not close, á Steig Nielsen does not expect the disagreement to affect the coalition’s unity. He said, however, that it is necessary to be willing to make structural changes.