During a ceremony when President Peres received Letters of Credence from 4 new ambassadors, the Micronesian envoy gushed with love & praise for Israel.
By Yossi Aloni
New ambassadors from Hungary, Serbia Turkmenistan and the tiny island nation of Micronesia recently submitted their credentials to President Shimon Peres at an official ceremony in Jerusalem.
Ambassador Asterio R. Takesy from Micronesia presents credentials to Israel’s President Shimon Peres – Photo: Mark Neiman/GPO
In light of the special frienship that has blossomed between Israel and Micronesia – which has a strong record of voting in favor of the Jewish state at the United Nations – Ambassador Asterio R. Takesy was permitted to break protocol and address Peres in his native tongue.
Usually, a new ambassador presenting credentials will tell the president, “I have the honor of sumitting these credentials to you.” But Takesy wanted to go further than that, and first expressed his appreciation for Peres and for Israel.
Micronesia has only four ambassadors worldwide – in Washington, at the UN, in Tokyo and in Papua New Guinea. Takesy is the ambassador stationed in Washington, and serves as Micronesia’s envoy not only to the US, but to Europe and Israel, as well.
Takesy told Peres that by now it is well known that Micronesia supports Israel unreservedly in various international forums, and will continue to do so. “I represent a small country that has become a big friend of Israel,” he said.
Takesy concluded by offering one of Micronesia’s 667 islands as a gift to the Israeli president.
View original Israel Today publication at: http://www.israeltoday.co.il/NewsItem/tabid/178/nid/24426/Default.aspx?hp=article_title
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