Israeli and the UAE dignitaries invite each other for their first official state visits following the establishment of diplomatic relations.
By Paul Shindman, World Israel News
Israel’s President Reuven Rivlin and the leader of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, exchanged letters inviting each other to visit their nation’s capitals, the two countries announced Tuesday.
“The Crown Prince of the Emirates Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed received a written message from the President of Israel Reuven Rivlin regarding ways to strengthen bilateral relations,” Israel’s Foreign Ministry tweeted in Arabic.
“The message included an invitation to Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed to visit Israel,” describing the recently established diplomatic ties as the peace of the brave for more progress and prosperity.”
The UAE’s official news agency WAM similarly reported that Sheikh Zayed had sent a similar letter to Rivlin inviting him to visit the UAE.
In his message, the Israeli president expressed appreciation for the efforts made to sign the historic Abraham accords establishing peaceful relations between the two countries, with Rivlin specifically inviting the Crown Prince to Jerusalem.
In his reply, the UAE leader thanked Rivlin “for his positive and constructive stance” and praised the peace accord that will “contribute to regional stability.”
In a surprise move, President Donald Trump in August announced that Israel and the UAE had agreed to normalize ties and were subsequently joined by the UAE’s neighbor, Bahrain, when the accords were signed at the White House on September 15.
The two countries have move swiftly to consolidate relations, establishing new air routes between the two countries and exchanging several diplomatic and trade missions within the first two months of the signing.
Among the agreements already struck are a contract for Israeli wine from the Golan Heights to be sold in the UAE, the two national soccer federations to cooperate with a friendly game between the top Israeli team Maccabi Haifa and UAE’s Al-Ain FC in Abu Dhabi, and preliminary plans for Jerusalem’s Hadassah Hospital to open a branch in Dubai.