ABU DHABI — Israeli Alternate Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid opened his country's embassy in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday during a historic trip to the United Arab Emirates following the normalization of ties between the two countries last year. "Israel wants peace with its neighbors. With all its neighbors. We aren't going anywhere. The Middle East is our home. We're here to stay. We call on all the countries of the region to recognize that. And to come to talk to us," Lapid said during the opening ceremony. Lapid, who is the most senior Israeli minister to visit the Gulf countries after the normalization of ties later, tweeted with a photo of himself and UAE Minister of Culture and Youth Noura Al-Kaabi. He later met with his Emirati counterpart Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed. They reviewed bilateral ties and discussed regional and international developments of mutual interest. The United States, a strong ally of both Israel and the UAE, has welcomed the "historic opening of the Israeli Embassy in Abu Dhabi. In a statement, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said: Foreign Minister Lapid's trip, the first to the UAE by an Israeli foreign minister, and the opening of the first Israeli Embassy in a Gulf state are significant for Israel, the UAE, and the broader region." "The United States will continue to work with Israel and the UAE as we strengthen all aspects of our partnerships and work to create a more peaceful, secure, and prosperous future for all the peoples of the Middle East," Blinken added in his statement.
