Israel opens Consulate General in Dubai, Kicks off talks with UAE on Free Trade Deal

Abu Dhabi: UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan and his Israeli counterpart, Yair Lapid, launched talks about a free trade agreement on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, Lapid arrived in Abu Dhabi, on his first foreign trip since he took office, and the first such visit by a top Israeli diplomat to the UAE since the two countries established diplomatic ties in September 2020. Lapid has already inaugurated the Israeli Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Consulate General in Dubai.

"Both sides expressed that they are looking forward to signing a free trade agreement, and they have commenced discussions on this matter," the ministers said in a joint statement.

The diplomats also signed an agreement on economic and trade cooperation to facilitate bilateral trade in goods and services. In addition, they agreed on cooperation in holding exhibitions, exchanging experience and agricultural technologies.The two pledged to support mutual investments further.

Israel opens Consulate General in Dubai

Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid inaugurated the Consulate General in Dubai on Wednesday.

It comes a day after the country opened its embassy in Abu Dhabi.

"Yesterday we opened the embassy in Abu Dhabi, today we are opening the consulate in Dubai. We are starting to get used to making history. This consulate isn't symbolic. It's a place of life. Of tourism. Of business. Of dialogue between two talented peoples who can and who want to contribute to one another," Lapid, who is on his first visit to the UAE, said during the ceremony.

The Israeli diplomatic mission has been operating in United Arab Emirates since January, when the first Israeli diplomat arrived in the Emirati capital.

The UAE and Israel struck a US-brokered deal, officially known as the Abraham Accords, to establish diplomatic ties in August and ratified it in October.(UNI/Sputnik)