A shot in the arm for international diplomacy, says UAE Ambassador to the US Al Otaiba

Washington DC - 'It maintains the viability of a two-state solution as endorsed by the Arab League'

Yousef Al Otaiba, UAE Ambassador to the US, said the tripartite announcement on Thursday regarding UAE-Israel relations is a significant advance for the region and for diplomacy.
In a statement after a joint statement issued by His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, US President Donald Trump, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Al Otaiba said it immediately stops annexation and the potential of violent escalation. It maintains the viability of a two-state solution as endorsed by the Arab League.

"It is a significant advance in Arab-Israeli relations that lowers tensions and creates new energy for positive change across the region. As two of the Middle East's most dynamic economies and vibrant societies, closer UAE-Israeli ties will accelerate growth and innovation, expand opportunities for young people, and breakdown long-held prejudices. It will help move the region beyond a troubled legacy of hostility to a more hopeful destiny of peace and prosperity," he said.

He said the UAE will continue to remain a strong supporter of the Palestinian people - for their dignity, their rights and their own sovereign state. "They must benefit too in normalisation. As we have for fifty years, we will forcefully advocate for these ends, now directly and bolstered with stronger incentives, policy options and diplomatic tools."

• MENA