Naftali Bennett: Israeli PM meets UAE Crown Prince at palace in Abu Dhabi

It was the first official visit by an Israeli prime minister to the UAE and comes 15 months after the signing of a normalization agreement between the two countries.

Bennett had previously highlighted the growing trade ties between his country and the United Arab Emirates in an interview with WAM, the Emirates’ state news agency. But the interview on tensions with Iran was not mentioned in the agency’s writing.

“The volume of mutual trade has accelerated in a few months with unlimited future opportunities to develop it. Israel, like the UAE, is a regional hub for trade. Our cooperation brings unprecedented economic opportunities not only for us, but for more countries. , which is another element to improve stability and prosperity in this region, “Bennett is quoted.

The Israeli leader cited cyber security, health, education and aviation as four areas in which the two countries enjoyed fruitful trade and investment, WAM wrote.

In addition to trade, the standardization agreement signed between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, one of a series of such agreements signed between Israel and the Arab states in the final months of the Trump administration, is also seen in Israel as a component. strong regional security for specifically, shared concerns about Iran.

But the interview made only the slightest possible nod in that direction, writing: ‘On the UAE’s efforts to enhance international cooperation to address common challenges, the Israeli Prime Minister emphasized,’ the values ​​of tolerance, peace and dialogue are common, and that is why the friendship that unites us developed at such high speed. ”

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