Latvia welcomes normalization of relations between the United Arab Emirates and the State of Israel

On 14 October 2020, Mr Jānis Mažeiks, Political Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs met with H.E. Ms Hanan Khalfan Obaid Ali Al Madhani, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United Arab Emirates, and H.E. Ms Orli Gil, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the State of Israel. This was the first official meeting of the Ambassadors of the UAE and Israel to Latvia to mark the normalization of relations and the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries in accordance with the agreement signed on 15 September in Washington, DC.

Mr Jānis Mažeiks welcomed the UAE-Israeli agreement and voiced his hope that not only will it improve relations between the UAE and Israel but also contribute to the promotion of security and stability in the wider Middle East. Jānis Mažeiks commended the role of the agreement between the UAE and Israel in suspending Israel’s plans to annex territories on the West Bank, and he expressed hope for further constructive steps towards the resumption of direct talks between the State of Israel and Palestine aimed at achieving a two-state solution.

Jānis Mažeiks expressed the readiness of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to support further cooperation between the Embassies of the UAE and Israel in Latvia. The UAE and Israeli Ambassadors thanked the Foreign Ministry for its support and expressed interest in the implementation of trilateral projects with Latvia. 

On 15 September in Washington, D.C. the UAE and Israel signed a historic agreement on normalizing relations and establishing diplomatic ties. The same kind of agreement was also signed between Israel and Bahrain.