KHALEEJ TIMES, Thursday, Oct 14, 2021 | Rabi Al-Awwal 8, 1443
UAE, US, Israel announce new working groups on religious coexistence, water, energy issues
Emirates:
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan,
Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, said the UAE, US and
Israel have agreed on establishing two new working groups; with one focusing on
religious coexistence and the other on water and energy issues.
The UAE top diplomat made the statements as he met
in Washington DC the Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and Israeli Foreign
Minister Yair Lapid.
The meeting covered the progress achieved one year
following the signing of the Abraham Accords Peace Agreement by the UAE and
Israel as well as the prospects of consolidating bilateral cooperation in
several areas of common interest. The three top diplomats also explored a number
of regional and international developments.
Sheikh Abdullah said the three-way meeting
reflects the US’s commitment to build bridges of cooperation between two nations
that are "committed to achieving advancement and development."
"Our presence here today reaffirms our commitment
to the necessity of changing the prevailing conditions in the region in the
right direction," Sheikh Abdullah noted.
"We have succeeded in establishing a nation that
respects values and recognises tolerance and co-existence," he said, stressing
that the Abraham Accords Peace Agreement is a catalyst for establishing peace in
the region.
He added that he would soon visit Israel at the
invitation of the Israeli Foreign Minister. "I will visit Israel soon in order
to meet our friends and partners. We need to not only celebrate this bilateral
relationship, but also to look forward to wider prospects of cooperation between
the two nations.’' He added that there could be no talk of peace in the Middle
East if Israel and the Palestinians were not "on talking terms".
"Therefore, we’re happy to see over the past weeks
Israeli officials meet with their Palestinian counterparts. We have to continue
encouraging them to do so. We believe that the UAE-Israeli relations have
enabled us to be frank with each other and helped us to encourage others
whenever there are something we can do."
"We’re impressed with the growing relationship
with Israel. We always rely on our friends in the United States of America. This
is an important thing for us. And we need to look forward to wider prospects of
cooperation between the UAE and Israel in several fields."
Yemen crisis
On Yemen, Sheikh Abdullah said that the UAE is
always discussing the conditions in Yemen. "We should recall that it’s the lack
of commitment on the part of Houthis that drew us to the situation in Yemen.
We’re working hard and diligently with our friends to put an end to the Yemeni
crisis and to ensure Yemenis will enjoy a better life."
He emphasised that the UAE will never accept a
Hezbollah-style entity on the borders of the sisterly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
"The Houthis have managed to increasingly reinforce their presence in a manner
similar to that of Hezbollah. We certainly want to put an end to this dispute
and to work with the international community on a plan to ensure reconstruction
of Yemen. Neither do we want to see in Yemen a situation similar to that in
South Lebanon," he continued.
Abraham Accords
The US Secretary of State emphasised his country’s
strong support for the Abraham Accords Peace Agreement between the UAE and
Israel, noting the importance of working for delivering a bright future for the
peoples of the Middle East region.
He underlined the importance of ensuring peaceful
coexistence in the region, noting that diplomacy will remain the preferred
option to end all conflicts.
US lauds UAE's net-zero initiative
The US top diplomat lauded the UAE's 2050 net-zero
initiative as well Israel’s endeavours to reduce carbon emissions by 25 percent
by 2050 as well.
The Israeli Foreign Minister said his country is
seeking to make the peace agreements signed recently a source of inspiration for
other nations to follow suit, noting that the Israeli-UAE partnership is based
on co-existence, economic prosperity and countering terrorism and extremism.
"There are leaders in the Middle East who believe
that we can change the course of history together in order to achieve peace," he
said, noting that Israel is endeavouring to expand the scope of peace agreements
in the region.
UAE-US bilateral meeting
Sheikh Abdullah also held a bilateral meeting with
the US Secretary of State where the two top diplomats discussed ways of
advancing the longstanding strategic partnership and expanding the prospects of
joint cooperation between the two friendly countries in several fields. They
also stressed the importance of working for finding lasting solutions that will
achieve security and stability in the region.
He affirmed the depth of ties between the UAE and
US and their commitment to leveraging their joint strategic partnership and
developing bilateral cooperation in all fields as well as working together to
solidify foundations of security, stability and peace and realise prosperity for
peoples in the region.
The UAE top diplomat commended the outcome of the
trilateral meeting, underscoring the significance of the Abraham Accords Peace
Agreement for opening up a new chapter of cooperation between the states in the
region and for delivering the aspirations of the peoples for development,
stability and prosperity.