New Delhi (NVI): India today welcomed the historic deal between its strategic partners United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Israel to fully normalise their relations and reiterated its support to peace, stability and development in West Asia.
External Affairs Ministry spokesman Anurag Srivastava said the Foreign Minister of UAE called up External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar this afternoon regarding the announcement.
Referring to the “recent development of great interest”, Srivastava said, “India has consistently supported peace, stability and development in West Asia, which is its extended neighbourhood. In that context, we welcome the full normalization of ties between UAE and Israel. Both nations are key strategic partners of India.”
He added that India continues its traditional support for the Palestinian cause. “We hope to see early resumption of direct negotiations to find an acceptable two-state solution,” the spokesman said.
After decades of animosity, Israel and UAE, an influential Arab country, have agreed to establish normal diplomatic relations.
The historic development was announced after trilateral talks, via video conference, between US President Donald Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of UAE Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed.
UAE is the first Gulf country to normalise relations with Israel.
The agreement sets stage for the two countries to work together in various fields, including security and trade and investment.
Under the deal, Israel will suspend declaring sovereignty over areas outlined in the President’s Vision for Peace and focus its efforts now on expanding ties with other countries in the Arab and Muslim world, according to a Joint Statement issued after the talks brokered by Trump.
In the coming weeks, delegations from Israel and UAE will meet to sign agreements in a number of areas, including security, energy, investment, tourism, aviation and technology, it said.
The Joint Statement said Israel and UAE will also work with the US to push its Strategic Agenda for the Middle East.
After the announcement, Bin Zayed said Israel will stop further annexation of Palestinian territories and UAE and Israel agreed to cooperation and setting a roadmap towards establishing a bilateral relationship.
Netanyahu later told journalists that he agreed to “delay” the annexation as part of the deal with the UAE, but the plans remain “on the table”. He said the agreement ushers in a new era of peace between Israel and the Arab world. He described it as the greatest advancement towards peace between Israel and the Arab world in the last 26 years.
However, the deal has been slammed by Palestinian leadership, terming it as betrayal.
The right-wing Jewish settlers in West Bank also expressed anger over the deal, saying they had been deceived as Netanyahu had promised to apply Israeli sovereignty over the areas they are in.
However, some Arab countries like Egypt, Jordan and Oman welcomed the development.
