JEDDAH — US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrived in Bahrain on Tuesday as part of his whirlwind Middle East tour that took him to Israel and Sudan. Earlier in the day, he had meetings with Sudanese Prime Minister Dr. Abdullah Hamdok and the head of the Sovereignty Council Gen. Abdulfattah Al-Burhan following his one-day visit to Israel. Pompeo's Mideast trip comes close on heels of the announcement of a historic peace accord between the United Arab Emirates and Israel to normalize relations on Aug. 13. Taking time out of his busy schedule, Pompeo also spoke to Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on phone. They discussed strategic relations between the two countries reviewed ways to enhance ties at all levels in the best interest of the two countries, the UAE's state news agency WAM reported. During the call, they tackled several regional and international issues of mutual interest, foremost of which is the peace accord between the UAE and Israel and the prospects for strengthening it in a way that serves the foundations of peace and stability in the region. They also discussed the latest developments in the Gulf Cooperation Council and the Middle East, the two countries' efforts to jointly fight the COVID-19 outbreak and the most important steps to limit the repercussions of the pandemic, according to WAM.
