Eduardo González
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, concluded yesterday in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) his tour of the Persian Gulf, which included Qatar and Saudi Arabia and in which he shared with these three countries the Spanish proposals to achieve peace in the East. Next.
Yesterday’s day in Abu Dhabi, capital of the Emirates, began with a meeting with representatives of Spanish companies in the country. “Economic relations are a fundamental pillar of Spain-UAE bilateral relations,” declared the minister through the social network X. “Our companies are ambassadors of Spain’s innovation and excellence in the world,” he added.
Subsequently, Albares was received by his Emirati counterpart, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed. “We have discussed bilateral relations, including economic, cultural and educational relations, and the situation in the region,” the minister wrote on the same social network. “Spain continues to work for peace,” he added.
As Spanish diplomatic sources explained to the Efe agency, Albares was able to perceive both in the Emirates and in the rest of the tour the “interest” in the measures proposed by Spain to overcome violence in the Middle East (among them, the holding of an international conference of peace for the implementation of the two-state solution, Israel and Palestine) and “the firm will on the part of all countries to strengthen, intensify and promote all the machinery for peace in the region.”
The same sources indicated that the two ministers agreed on the need to continue supporting the United Nations Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) because “it is not the time to close our hands” in relation to the decision of some countries to cut funding to the agency because of the relationship of a dozen of its workers with Hamas.
According to the Emirati Foreign Ministry, the two ministers discussed the evolution of the situation in the Middle East and its various repercussions, especially at the humanitarian level, and the efforts of the international community to reach a lasting ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. Gaza and intensify the provision of humanitarian aid to civilians.
Sheikh Abdullah highlighted the support of the United Arab Emirates “to all regional and international efforts made to achieve a lasting ceasefire, which contributes to ending extremism, tensions and violence in the region and protecting the lives of civilians,” continued the same source.
Separately, the two ministers also discussed the ties and cooperation between the United Arab Emirates and Spain, especially in “the economic, investment and development fields,” and Sheikh Abdullah highlighted the interest of the United Arab Emirates in strengthening their cooperation. with Spain to “serve the mutual interests of the two countries and their peoples.”
Albares began the tour in the Gulf this past Tuesday in Qatar, where he was received by the Emir of the State of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Zani and by the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar, Sheikh Mohamed Bin Abdelrahman Al Zani. On Wednesday, the minister traveled to Saudi Arabia, where he was received by his counterpart, Faisal bin Farhan.
The United Arab Emirates has recognized Israel in application of the Abraham Accords promoted by former US President Donald Trump. On the other hand, Qatar does not recognize the Jewish State and the Saudi Government warned Israel this Wednesday that it will not advance in the normalization of its relations until the Palestinian State is recognized and the conflict in Gaza is not put to an end.
