The UAE, US and Israel on August 1 released a joint statement, reaffirming that the peace accord reached between the three nations on August 13 is a courageous step towards developing a more stable, integrated and prosperous Middle Eastern region. The tripartite statement has come during the ongoing visit of a key US-Israeli delegation to the UAE to celebrate the normalisation of relations between Israel and the UAE. The US-Israeli delegation led by Senior Adviser to US President Donald Trump Jared Kushner arrived in Abu Dhabi on Monday on the first-ever commercial flight from Tel Aviv to the UAE.

Here are the details of the joint statement:

"The accord reached between the United States, Israel and the United Arab Emirates on August 13, 2020, is a courageous step towards a more stable, integrated and prosperous Middle East."

The three countries stated that the accord "inverts traditional thinking about the way to address the region’s problems and challenges, focusing on pragmatic steps that have tangible, practical outcomes."

“It carries with it the promise of new bridges that will serve to de-escalate existing conflicts and prevent future conflicts," the statement reads.

The three nations further asserted that the peace agreement has come at the right time, underlining the amount of war, destruction and dislocation the region has faced over the last decade.

"If we are to meet the needs of current and future generations, we must be responding actively to all these changes.”

It also states that the accord has initiated a historic breakthrough in normalizing ties between Israel and the UAE, further leading to the suspension of Israel’s plans to extend its sovereignty. Through the statement, the United States and the UAE also urged Palestinian leaders to reengage with their Israeli counterparts in discussions aimed at achieving peace.

On September 29, the UAE formally abolished its 40-year boycott law, paving way for UAE companies and individuals to engage in trade directly with Israel.

Furthermore, from foreign affairs to food security, Israeli and Emirati ministers have also initiated their first official discussions focusing on increasing and enhancing cooperation between the two countries. From the opening of phone lines between the two countries to collaborating on research projects aiming towards finding breakthroughs in the treatment of COVID-19, Israelis and Emiratis are coming together to foster partnership on various fronts.

"Today we have witnessed the first commercial flight by Israel’s El Al airlines to the UAE, carrying both Israeli officials and media," the statement said.

In the coming days, Emirati, Israeli and American officials are looking to forward to initiating the discussions on bilateral technical cooperation in seven key areas: investment, finance, health, the civilian space program, civil aviation, foreign policy and diplomatic affairs, and tourism and culture, with the broader aim of strengthening the partnership between two of the most innovative and dynamic economies in the Middle East.

In the statement, the UAE and Israel expressed their gratitude towards the overwhelmingly positive response to the historic accord from governments across the world. They further thanked US President Donald Trump and his administration for their critical role in achieving the diplomatic breakthrough, adding that they are greatly encouraged by the broad bipartisan support for the breakthrough from the United States Congress

"We hope and expect that in the near future our collective efforts will set in motion a cascade of positive changes, both large and small, that will put our respective peoples and the wider region on a solid path to security, prosperity and peace," the statement concluded.

WAM