Israeli Foreign Minister, Yisrael Katz, attended the UN Climate Change Conference that took part this week in the Gulf city of Abu Dhabi.
UAE along with most Arab countries, refuse to recognise Israel as a state and therefore do not have formal diplomatic relations with the country.
Minister Katz met with a senior UAE official where they discussed on the relationship between Israel and the UAE, mentioning strengthening ties in high tech, energy, agriculture and water management.
Regional issues which involved the need to deal with Iranian threat related to the nuclear issues were also discussed. Minister Katz marked his Abu Dhabi trip as a “significant step” between Israel and other countries in the Middle East.
He pledged to continue working with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s normalisation policy through strength; based on the capabilities of Israel in the spheres of security and intelligence.
Minister Katz also met with UN Secretary-General Antonio Gueterres where he brought up issues of Israeli IDF soldiers and civilians currently held captive.
Prime Minister Netanyahu went to Oman earlier in October before Minister Katz’s visit, making the Minister’s Abu Dhabi visit the first public visit by an Israeli minister after Netanyahu’s trip.
