Israeli government agreed: direct flights between Taiwan and Tel Aviv

Unconfirmed report said that Taiwanese would be granted visa privileges, adding that an agreement on direct commercial passenger and cargo flights could also be signed by the two countries in the near future
 
Unconfirmed report said that The Israeli government has agreed in principle to establish direct flights between Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion International Airport, for the first time.
 
Various press articles published last week in Taiwan noted that Mrs. Simona Halperin, representative of the Israel Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei was optimistic that Taiwanese would be granted visa privileges, adding that an agreement on direct commercial passenger and cargo flights could also be signed by the two countries in the near future.
 
 “[We are] at the final stage of having agreed tests on an air service agreement which will pave the way for commercial flight companies ... to establish direct flights for cargo and passengers,” Halperin said.
 
Taiwan's Minister of Foreign Affairs Timothy Yang said the ministry is in the process of negotiating visa-waiver status and air service agreements with various countries, including Israel. Yang added that “The negotiations have been going well,”.
 
The abolition of visas and the air service agreement will bring positive impacts to bilateral exchanges between Taiwan and Israel in economics, tourism and personnel.
 
 
Bilateral trade last year stood at USD 1.2 billion. In recent years the two countries have signed 15 cooperative agreements, which demonstrates that there is considerable room for development of relations between the two sides.