Bibi Netanyahu on 1st visit to Czech Republic

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu started on Thursday his official visit to the Czech Republic, the first of its kind paid by an Israeli prime minister since 1948, in a move to promote bilateral relations.

Czech Prime Minister Petr Necas met with Netanyahu over issues concerning bilateral relations and economic cooperation, according to a press release. Necas touted Israel as a country with an immensely innovative economy based on science, research and innovations. "This is a big inspiration for us," he said.

The Czech Republic has been closely following Israel's " technology incubators" programs and hopes to intensify their cooperation in this regard, Necas said. Netanyahu welcomed possible Israel-Czech cooperation in the fields of science, economy, military and security, saying that the two countries will organize ministerial meetings to specify joint programs.

Netanyahu was the first Israeli prime minister to visit Prague since 1948 when the modern state of Israel was established.