ABU DHABI — Israel's President Isaac Herzog started his first visit to the
UAE on Sunday,
the latest high-profile diplomatic trip since the countries normalized ties.
اضافة اعلان
It follows a
visit by Naftali Bennett last month, the first by an Israeli premier, during
which both sides are understood to have discussed Iran's nuclear program, a top
Israeli security concern.
Herzog, traveling with Israeli first lady,
arrived at around 0800 GMT in the UAE capital, where he met with Foreign
Minister
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, the president's office
said.
"Beginning the first visit by an
Israeli president in the UAE," Herzog tweeted upon arrival. "We
were delighted and deeply moved by the warm welcome in Abu Dhabi."
The visit comes some 16 months after the
wealthy Gulf country forged diplomatic ties with Israel, becoming the third
Arab nation to do so after Egypt and Jordan.
Herzog also met with Abu Dhabi
Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan at the presidential palace, the official
Emirati news agency WAM said.
"The national anthems of the two
countries were played, while 21 rounds of artillery were fired to welcome his
visit," it reported.
Sheikh Mohammed expressed hope that the
visit would enhance bilateral relations, WAM said, adding that the pair
discussed cooperation in fields including the economy, trade, investment,
development, technology, and health.
The president's office said the meeting
lasted for over two hours.
Geopolitical interests
"We completely support your security
requirements and we condemn in all forms and language any attack on your
sovereignty by terrorist groups," Herzog's office quoted him as saying
during the meeting.
Abu Dhabi was hit this month by a missile
and drone attack that killed three foreign workers — the first deadly assault
on UAE soil claimed by Yemen's Iran-backed Huthi rebels and acknowledged by the
Emiratis.
"We are here together to find ways and
means to bring full security to people who seek peace in our region," he
added.
Herzog, whose position is largely
ceremonial, was also due to meet the UAE prime minister and ruler of Dubai
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum during the two-day trip — the first
official visit to the UAE by an Israeli head of state.
A 2020 normalization deal between the two
countries was one of a series of US-brokered agreements known as the
Abraham Accords.
The deals angered the Palestinians and broke
with decades of
Arab League consensus against recognizing Israel until it signs
a peace agreement establishing a Palestinian state with a capital in east
Jerusalem.
The accords were negotiated by Bennett's
predecessor, Benjamin Netanyahu, who said they would offer Israel new regional
allies against Iran and bolster its diplomatic efforts to stop Tehran from
acquiring nuclear weapons.
Iran is Israel's long-standing nemesis, and Israel
is highly skeptical about ongoing efforts by world powers to revive a 2015 deal
that gave Tehran sanctions relief in exchange for limits on its nuclear program.
The UAE has strained relations with Iran,
backing government-aligned forces fighting the Tehran-backed Huthi rebels in
Yemen's civil war.
Read more Region and World
.jpg)
.jpg)
