The UAE foreign minister, Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan, and his Israeli counterpart, Yair Lapid, on Tuesday (29 June) signed the 12th agreement between the two countries, covering economic and trade co-operation. Lapid is on his first official visit to Abu Dhabi to discuss ways to strengthen bilateral relations in light of the agreement between the two sides, as well as the situation in the Middle East region.
During the two-day visit, Lapid also opened his country's first embassy in the UAE. The UAE officially opened its embassy in Tel Aviv back in June. "This is a historic moment that reminds us that it is the people who make history," Lapid said at the inauguration of the embassy.
"The Middle East is our home. We’re here to stay. We call on all the countries of the region to recognize that. And to come talk to us.”
Israel is also planning to open a consulate in Dubai and take part in Expo 2020 scheduled for October.
The US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, welcomed the visit saying "[Washington] will continue to work with Israel and the UAE while strengthening all areas of our partnerships and working to create a more peaceful, secure and prosperous future for all the people of the Middle East," the State Department said.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas reiterated that the normalisation agreements would not succeed, describing them as illusions that would not bring peace to the region.
