Honduras president to inaugurate ‘diplomatic office’ in Jerusalem

Published: August 28, 2019 12:13:04 | Updated: August 30, 2019 19:19:39

Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez speaks during an interview with Reuters on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York City, US September 24, 2018. REUTERS/Darren Ornitz

Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez will travel to Jerusalem to inaugurate a ‘diplomatic office’ in the city on Sept 1, the Honduran government said in a statement on Tuesday.

The office represents an extension of Honduras’s embassy in the country, the Honduran government said.

Hernandez said in March that he would open a trade office in Jerusalem. It was not immediately clear how the diplomatic office would be related to a trade office.

The Honduran president’s office and foreign ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment, Reuters reported.

Hernandez has in recent months signaled that his government is mulling moving the Honduran embassy to Jerusalem.

His comments follow the formal recognition by US President Donald Trump of Jerusalem as the Israeli capital. Last May, Trump moved the US embassy to the disputed city.