Issued on:
Washington’s top diplomat will try to deepen Israeli-Arab rapprochement at a summit in Israel on Sunday where he may also face pushback against the emerging Iran nuclear deal and questions about the U.S.-Russia struggle over Ukraine.
Kicking off a regional tour, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will meet Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett before joining Foreign Minister Yair Lapid and counterparts from four Arab countries at a desert retreat.
Topping the agenda are the Iran nuclear talks, about which Israel and Gulf Arab states have voiced strong misgivings, and Russia’s month-long invasion of Ukraine, a conflict in which Israel has emerged as a potential mediator.
“I think he (Blinken) will hear a very strong position (on Iran) from all of the countries (at the summit),” Eitan Naeh, Israel’s ambassador to Bahrain, told public broadcaster Kan.
Attending will be foreign ministers from United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco, three Arab nations that were part of the so-called Abraham Accords brokered by the Trump administration in 2020 to normalise ties with Israel.
Egypt’s foreign minister, whose country on Saturday marked 43 years of peace with Israel, will also join the summit.
The nuclear talks had been close to an agreement several weeks ago until Russia made last-minute demands of the United States, insisting that sanctions imposed on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine should not affect its trade with Iran.
Blinken’s visit comes at a time when ties with several countries in the Middle East face challenges as key allies such as Israel and the UAE question the Biden administration’s commitment to the region.
While Washington’s strategic focus has been on China, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has further complicated U.S. foreign policy priorities, leaving it to grapple with challenges on several fronts.
The…
Source : france24
