Minister Katz in Abu Dhabi
Minister Katz in Abu Dhabispokesperson

Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz on Sunday visited Abu Dhabi as part of the United Nations Environment Conference.

This is the first trip by a senior Israeli minister to an Arab country immediately following the US-led economic conference in Bahrain last week.

The Minister also met with the Secretary-General of the United Nations and raised the subject of the Israeli POWs and MIAs.

In addition, Minister Katz held a meeting with a senior official in the UAE. The meeting discussed the regional aspects and the relations between the two countries, the need to deal with Iran's threats on the nuclear issue, missile development and support for regional terrorism and the violence Iran is waging against regional interests.

The joint activities were also discussed to promote economic relations between the two countries in various fields, such as advanced technology, energy, agriculture and water.

Minister Katz presented the "Paths for Regional Peace" initiative to an economic and strategic connection between Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states, via Jordan, the Israeli railway network and Haifa ports in the Mediterranean.

"I am excited to stand here in Abu Dhabi and represent the interests of the State of Israel vis-a-vis the Arab Gulf states," Katz said. "I will continue to work with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to promote the normalization policy with the strength we are leading, based on Israel's capabilities, both in the fields of security and intelligence, and in the various civilian areas.

"I see this as one of the main challenges in my role as foreign minister, and I intend to continue leading this policy in the future as well," added Minister Katz.