Bolivia’s new interim government announced a renewal of ties with Israel as part of an overall shift in its foreign policy.

Karen Longaric, foreign minister of Bolivia’s transitional government, announced the country’s new policy last week. The change was made possible after former Bolivian president Evo Morales stepped down last month. The socialist leader, who was generally antagonistic toward Israel, unilaterally broke off ties with the Jewish state in 2009 after Israel’s conflict with Gaza, Operation Cast Lead.

Morales canceled a 30-year agreement enabling Israelis to visit Bolivia without visas and, in 2014, called Israel a “terrorist state.” Longaric said that Morales’ decisions didn’t take into account the economic and commercial benefits Bolivia had derived from Israeli tourism to the South American nation.

Nine Israeli inventions made it to TIME magazine’s list of 100 Best Inventions which means that Israeli inventions accounted for nearly 10 percent of the list — an amazing showing for such a small country!

The American-based magazine said it assembled its 2019 list by soliciting “nominations across a variety of categories from our editors and correspondents around the world, as well as through an online application process.” 

“Then TIME evaluated each contender based on key factors, including originality, creativity, influence, ambition and effectiveness.”