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Israel to open 1st diplomatic mission in UAE

Xinhua, November 27, 2015 Adjust font size:

Israel is soon going to open its first diplomatic mission in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a stepping-stone in Israel's relationship with the Arab world, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson confirmed to Xinhua.

The move, which will take place in the upcoming weeks, was first published exclusively by the Israeli Ha'aretz daily and confirmed by Foreign Ministry spokesperson Emanuel Nachshon.

Nachshon confirmed the report by Ha'aretz that the director of the Foreign Ministry, Dore Gold, visited the region last month to finalize the establishment of a diplomatic mission to the United Nations International Renewable Energy Agency's (IRENA) headquarters in Abu Dhabi.

Although technically the diplomatic mission is not to the Arab country itself but rather to the UN agency situated in its territory, the move is nonetheless seen as groundbreaking.

It should also be noted that in 2009, while the United Nations held a discussion over where the offices of the agency should be set up, Israel supported the decision to locate them in Abu Dhabi, rather than Germany.

Israel has had strenuous relationships with Arab countries in the Middle East since its foundation and does not conduct diplomatic contacts with them, with the exceptions of Egypt and Jordan, with whom Israel signed peace treaties in 1979 and 1994, respectively.

Israel had reportedly gotten closer to Sunni Arab states like Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates in recent years, amid the countries' joint rebuke of the international community's agreements with the Shi'ite Islamic Republic of Iran over the latter's nuclear program. Endit