Pompeo kicks off his visit to UAE, Sudan, Bahrain, Israel

Washington - US Secretary of State visit comes after Israel and UAE agreed to normalisation of relations earlier this month.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo kicked off his four-country trip starting on Sunday, the US State Department said in a statement.
Pompeo will travel to Israel, Sudan, Bahrain, and the UAE from August 23 to 28, State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said in a statement, Xinhua news agency reported.

Pompeo's first stop is Israel, where he will meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on regional security issues and "establishing and deepening Israel's relationships in the region," according to the statement.
During his stay in Sudan, Pompeo will meet with Sudanese leaders to "discuss continued US support for the civilian-led transitional government and express support for deepening the Sudan-Israel relationship."
The top US diplomat will then travel to Bahrain and the UAE.
Pompeo's visit comes after Israel and the UAE agreed to normalisation of relations earlier this month.
According to the deal, Israel agrees to suspend its plan to annex parts of the occupied Palestinian territories in the West Bank.
US President Donald Trump, who first touted the deal on Twitter, said earlier that the two sides would have an "official" signing ceremony at the White House in the next few weeks.

• Abu Dhabi
• MENA