has since then encapsulated tourism, culture, trade, economy, science, education and other fields. In 2013, Belarusian Vice Premier Mikhail Rusyi met top Israeli officials from the Belarusian Agriculture and Food Ministry, the State Committee for Science and Technology, Belarusbank and the Vitebsk Oblast Executive Committee to further facilitate economic cooperation as well as development of innovative technologies into the Belarusian agricultural sector. Belgium Bosnia and Herzegovina Israel and Bosnia and Herzegovina established diplomatic relations in 1997. Bulgaria Israel and Bulgaria have strong ties. Bulgaria was one of the only countries which saved its Jews during World War II (48,000 in total). Israel and Bulgaria established diplomatic relations in 1948. After the Six-Day War Bulgaria cut diplomatic ties with Israel. In 1988, Bulgaria joined the wave of first nations to recognise the State of Palestine, something it has never withdrawn. In 1990 diplomatic relations were renewed. Bulgaria has an embassy in Tel Aviv and Israel has an embassy in Sofia and honorary consul in Varna. The cooperation has been consolidated by unexpected actions of goodwill from both nations. In the summer 2010 Bulgaria dispatched 90 firefighters to Israel to join the efforts to put out a massive wild-fire that raged outside of Haifa. In the summer of 2012, Israel sent two 'Air Tractor' planes to Bulgaria to help that nation fight a wild-fire in the Vitosha Mountains near Sofia further signifying notions of repayment and as well as the strengthening of relations between the two countries. On 7 July 2011, Bulgarian Prime Minister Boiko Borissov and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signed a declaration pledging closer cooperation between the two countries and the governments between the two countries would result in a wide range of areas that include foreign affairs, national security and emergency preparedness, tourism, energy, and agriculture. Israel also took note of Bulgaria's prompt on international cooperation between the two countries to preserve memory, learning, and research on the Holocaust, combating xenophobia and antisemitism. In January 2012, Israel and Bulgaria signed two additional memorandum of understanding, which the purpose where one was for joint military training exercises and one for cooperation in the defence sector. The two agreements were signed by Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Bulgarian Defense Minister Anyu Angelov. Minister Angelov said the two agreements, in addition to their economic and defense benefits, also "bring a political message – Bulgaria and Israel are a step closer