DUBAI (Reuters) – The first official delegation of the United Arab Emirates to Israel took off on Tuesday when the two countries expanded cooperation after normalizing relations last month as part of an agreement negotiated by the United States, largely forged through Iran’s unusual fears.
An Etihad Airways aircraft with Emirati government officials, accompanied by U. S. dignitaries, left the capital of the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi, for Ben-Gurion Airport, according to flight tracking website FlightRadar24.
Israeli officials said it would be confined to the airport due to coronavirus problems.
In September, the United Arab Emirates and the Gulf state of Bahrain became the first Arab states in a quarter of a century to signal agreements to identify formal ties with Israel, a resolution that Washington and its allies say would promote regional peace and stability until now. rejected, Palestinians.
The Emirati delegation is headed by Economy Minister Abdullah bin Touq al-Mari and Minister of State for Financial Affairs Obaid Humaid al-Tayer tweeted a spokeswoman for the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
U. S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Middle East Envoy Ari Berkowitz enrolled them on the trip, after accompanying an Israeli delegation to Bahrain on Sunday for a rite of signature to formalize relations.
Israel and the United Arab Emirates have already signed several industrial agreements since mid-August, when they first announced that they would identify full relationships.
Israeli officials said either party will have to sign a mutual visa waiver agreement, Israel’s first with an Arab country.
(Report through Lisa Barrington, Dan Williams and Ghaida Ghantous; edited through Andrew Heavens and John Stonestreet)