UK-Israel's relationship is strong as ever: Dominic Raab
Aug 25, 2020
London [UK], August 25 : UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab reiterated the strong relationship shared between the UK and Israel after meeting with his Israeli counterpart, Gabi Ashkenazi, in Tel Aviv on Tuesday.
"The UK-Israel relationship is as strong as ever. I expressed [United Kingdom's] enduring friendship to Foreign Minister @Gabi_Ashkenazi this morning. We discussed the significance of normalisation of [UAE-Israeli] relations, and efforts towards greater peace in the Middle East," Raab tweeted.
On the meeting with US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo, Raab tweeted, "Valuable discussion with @SecPompeo in Jerusalem on mutual concerns and threats to regional stability, alongside the importance of the Israel-UAE deal."
After the meeting between the two leaders, the US State Department said, "Secretary Pompeo and Foreign Secretary Raab discussed shared foreign policy priorities, including President Trump's Vision for Peace. The Secretary and the Foreign Secretary also discussed coordination on countering Iran's destabilising influence in the region," it added.
Pompeo on Monday met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem and discussed efforts to "address Iranian malign influence in the region", shared challenges to the US and Israel's face, and the benefit of the Abraham Accords.
"We talked about chances for our countries to work together as the whole world tries to push back against this virus that came from Wuhan, China, and I'm confident there are places which our medical systems and pharmaceutical companies will build out a good solution to keep Israelis, Americans, and people all across the world safer and healthier in the weeks and months ahead," said Pompeo during a presser.
Under a historic agreement earlier this month, Israel and the UAE agreed to full diplomatic ties including the mutual establishment of embassies and beginning of open trading. Israel said it would halt its plans to formally annexe parts of the West Bank.
Pompeo is on a five-day Middle-East trip that will also take him to Sudan, Bahrain and the UAE.
