Israeli President Isaac Herzog and the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan held a working meeting on Sunday that lasted over two hours. The meeting was the first between the two leaders.
Herzog traveled to the United Arab Emirates early Sunday morning, kicking off the first-ever Israeli presidential visit to the country.
“We are here together to find ways and means to bring full security to people who seek peace in our region,” said Herzog.
The crown prince thanked the president and said that it was “a stance that demonstrates our common view of the threats to regional stability and peace, particularly those posed by militias and terrorist forces, as well as our shared understanding of the importance of taking a firm stance against them.”
“I am very much looking forward to my visit at the Expo and seeing the most unbelievable experience that everyone is talking about, including the 250,000 Israelis who have already set foot in your beautiful country,” he said.
Bin Zayed said that a major thrust of the Abraham Accords was to strengthen economic cooperation and innovation, especially in the areas of technology, innovation, health and energy.
“Our region is one of those that has suffered the most from wars and conflicts,” the crown prince said. “Through peace, we in the UAE, Israel and the wider region, can direct resources and capabilities towards serving our nations and paving the way for a better tomorrow.
“There is no doubt that your country’s participation in Expo 2020 Dubai is one of the results of this peace, and it will help deepen our cooperation and partnership and identify mutual opportunities for Israel and the UAE,” bin Zayed continued.
The president and his wife received a grand official welcoming ceremony at the royal palace. During the ceremony, the Israeli and Emirati national anthems were played, the delegations were presented to the leaders, and then the president reviewed the royal honor guard, which performed a 21-gun salute in honor of his arrival.
“This visit is an expression, as you said correctly, Your Highness, of the vision and dream of peace and the spirit of peace, which we bring to the entire region,” Herzog said during the meeting. “We are two successful nations who started with very little in our hands, developed our lands into a successful paradise and in many ways set an example to the world of how to lead and develop a nation with a vision of the future.”
He added that “this sends a message to the entire region that there is an alternative of peace and living together, and that the sons and daughters of Abraham can reside and dwell together in peaceful coexistence for the benefit of humanity.”
The Abraham Accords were signed at the White House in September 2020.
“This message of peace is the cornerstone of our relationship. And we are here to deliver a message both to Israelis and Emiratis and the region that the Abraham Accords should be continued and more nations should join us in this endeavor,” Herzog added.
The prince said that Herzog’s visit, coming just a short while after a visit by Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, confirms that the relationship between the two countries is “moving full steam ahead and there is a common and strong will to strengthen them for the benefit of our countries and peoples.”