Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and President of Israel, Isaac Herzog, on Sunday reviewed prospects of cooperation and regional developments.
The two leaders deliberated aspects of cooperation under the Abraham Accords Peace Agreement, signed by the two nations in 2020, in addition to a number of regional and international issues of interest.
This came during a session of talks held by His Highness Sheikh Mohamed and the President of Israel at Qasr Al Watan Palace in Abu Dhabi.
At the beginning of the meeting, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed welcomed Herzog and expressed his hope that this visit would contribute to advancing the relations between the two countries to a higher level for the higher good of their peoples and those of the region.
The two sides also reviewed the prospects of growing cooperation at all levels, especially in the economic, trade, investment, development, technology, health, and other fields.
The meeting also dealt with a number of regional and international issues of mutual concern, especially the efforts made to achieve peace, stability and development in the Middle East region for the common good and prosperity of its peoples.
Israel’s President Isaac Herzog arrived in the United Arab Emirates on Sunday, in the latest high-profile diplomatic trip since the countries normalized ties.
“Flying now with my wife Michal for a historic visit in the United Arab Emirates, which symbolizes above all the promise of peace between nations,” he tweeted before departing to Abu Dhabi.
Herzog will also sit down with the UAE prime minister and ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohamed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, and visit the Expo 2020 Dubai, his office added.
The visit comes some 16 months after the Gulf country forged diplomatic ties with Israel, becoming the third Arab nation to do so after Egypt and Jordan.
The Emirati ambassador in Israel, Mohamed Al Khaja, tweeted Saturday that the trip was previously scheduled for January 9 but “was postponed due to Covid-19 conditions”.
“We look forward to this historic visit, which will enhance the bilateral relations… as we aim to sign important economic and trade agreements between the two countries in the near future,” he added.
The UAE-Israel normalization deal was part of a series of US-brokered agreements known as the Abraham Accords, pacts that have angered the Palestinians.
The deals 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.
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett made history last month when he became the first Israeli head of government to visit UAE, in a trip that partly focused on international talks on Iran’s nuclear program, a top Israeli security priority.
Herzog, whose position is largely ceremonial, is the first Israeli head of state to officially visit the UAE.
The Abraham Accords were negotiated under former US president Donald Trump but endorsed by President Joe Biden’s administration.
Bahrain and Morocco have also normalized ties with Israel under the accords.
Sudan has agreed to do so but formal diplomatic relations have not emerged amid escalating instability in Khartoum.