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Cairo (AFP) – The trilateral meeting between Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Saeed Al Nahyan and Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett took place on Tuesday at the Sharm el-Sheikh Red Sea resort in Egypt. War in Ukraine.
The meeting comes a month after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which led to a significant increase in oil prices and raised security concerns in several countries. All three leaders represent the three countries that are allies of the United States, but not all of them expressed positions of support for the Russian invasion of Ukraine, on the contrary, they were cautious because they sided with Russia in different interests.
Egyptian presidential spokesman Bassam Roddy said in a statement that the tripartite meeting dealt with the aftermath of the war in Ukraine, “particularly on energy and food security.”
Egypt, the world’s largest wheat importer, fears the impact of the war on the demand for these products, which are mainly imported from both countries. It also fears the aftermath of war in general in its economy, which is highly dependent on imports.
On Monday, the Egyptian central bank announced that it would reduce the price of the Egyptian pound by approximately 17% as part of an effort to counter these effects and to conclude agreements with international companies to finance the country’s needs.
The official Emirates news agency also reported on the tripartite meeting.
He said the meeting focused on “the importance of cooperation, coordination and consultation in strengthening inter-country relations and meeting the aspirations of growth and stability in the region, energy security and the stability of global markets.”
Energy-rich Gulf states are resisting Western pressure to increase production of oil derivatives, which could help curb inflation.
The impact of the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia, the world’s second-largest crude exporter after Saudi Arabia, has pushed the price of a barrel of oil to more than $ 115, which Europeans and Americans have imposed several sanctions on.
At the same time, the United Arab Emirates is seeking to secure its diplomatic independence. It could also explain the recent reception of action by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who, after a long hiatus, has been criticized by the United States.
The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement that the tripartite talks were aimed at strengthening ties “at all levels”.
Israeli Prime Minister Naphtali Bennett mediated the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, visited Moscow and invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zhelensky more than once.
Bennett condemned the Russian invasion of the West, especially with the United States, an ally of Israel, and emphasized strong ties with Russia and Ukraine.
However, Israel has been largely involved in providing humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and in obtaining Ukrainian refugees, especially Jews from them.
Iran
This is the first meeting between the three countries.
Then Saeed and Bennett arrived in Sharm el-Sheikh, where they held a bilateral meeting with CC, according to Emirati and Israeli media.
According to Israeli media reports, Bennett and CC discussed on Monday that Iran and the West were close to a deal to revive the nuclear deal.
On Tuesday, the newspaper Yediot Ahronot told a news conference before Bennett’s trip to Egypt that “if the United States concludes a nuclear deal with Iran, it will not be the end of the Israeli government.” Unlike what happened after the conclusion of the primary nuclear deal with Iran in 2015, this time Israel is “building massive” military capabilities, spending billions of dollars “unprecedentedly”.
From the outset, Israel has opposed the 2015 nuclear deal between its arch-enemy Iran and the six major powers, particularly the United States.
The Jewish state is one of the most important supporters of former US President Donald Trump’s decision to unilaterally withdraw from the agreement in 2018 and re-impose tough sanctions on Tehran.
Iran and the other parties to the agreement, with the indirect involvement of the United States, began negotiations in Vienna a year ago in an attempt to renew the agreement. Stakeholders confirmed that the talks had reached a critical juncture in recent weeks.
While Tehran confirmed last week that there were only two “problems” between the United States and the United States in reviving the agreement, Washington warned on Monday that the agreement was “immediate or uncertain” as to the consequences of the success or failure of negotiations.
The close stance between Iran and Israel and some Gulf states is one of the reasons that contributed to the normalization of relations between them over the past year.
Egypt was the first Arab country to sign a peace agreement with Israel in 1979. According to the United Arab Emirates, under the patronage of Donald Trump and Bahrain and Morocco, Egypt became the third country in 2020 to normalize relations with Israel (after Egypt and Jordan). Quickly followed it.
Sudan has also agreed to normalize relations with Israel, but full relations have not yet been established.
Israel and the United Arab Emirates have signed agreements on visa exemptions, tourism, finance and other sectors.
Last November, the Israeli company Elbit Systems announced the opening of a branch in the United Arab Emirates. About two lakh Israelis have arrived in the United Arab Emirates since the establishment of relations, according to an Israeli embassy official in Dubai last month.
© 2022 AFP
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