JERUSALEM — Israel's foreign minister announced Monday he will soon visit Morocco on a trip aimed at cementing the budding diplomatic ties between the two countries.

The trip by Yair Lapid, expected in mid-August, will mark the first visit to Morocco by an Israeli foreign minister since the two countries re-established ties last year, Associated Press (AP) reported on Monday.

This visit will be the starting point for tourism and trade agreements, and for comprehensive economic and political cooperation between the two countries, Lapid told members of his Yesh Atid party.

Israel and Morocco agreed to normalize relations in late 2020. Morocco was among four Arab nations, including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Sudan, to upgrade or establish diplomatic ties with Israel in a series of deals brokered by the Trump administration. — WAM