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Rishi Sunak heaps praise on Abraham Accords and ‘dividend of diplomacy’
November 03, 2022
British prime minister was speaking at a reception to mark the second anniversary of the accords
The Abraham Accords represent one of the “greatest achievements in the long process of securing peace in the Middle East”, said British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
Mr Sunak made the comments at a reception to mark the second anniversary of the accords, which were signed in Washington by the UAE, Bahrain and Israel.
The event on Wednesday in the UK was also attended by Reem Al Hashimy, UAE Minister of State for International Co-operation; Zayed Alzayani, Bahrain’s Minister of Industry and Commerce; and ambassadors from the Emirates, Israel, Bahrain and Morocco.
“Today we send a clear message about our commitment to the Accords and all that they represent,” said Mr Sunak.
“The accords have kick-started a new era of relations in trade, tourism, security and more. This is the dividend of diplomacy.
“Israel and the UAE signed a free trade agreement in May. It could double bilateral trade in just five years.”
Travel has also boomed between the two countries with the introduction of direct flights, said Mr Sunak.
Bahrain and Israel have now signed 40 agreements, including a major defence deal, increasing resilience to shared threats.
“This would have been impossible just a few years ago,” said Mr Sunak.
“But it does show how we can transform peace and stability in the region.”
He said the UK was committed to working with all partners to take the “initiative from strength to strength”.
“It is almost exactly 45 years since Anwar Sadat travelled to Israel to address the Knesset,” said Mr Sunak.
“With [the] Abraham Accords, our generation took up the torch. Now we must continue the journey. We must show that by working together more closely we can deliver lasting peace, stability and prosperity. And more than anything we can deliver hope.”
The UAE and Bahrain signed the Abraham Accords in 2020 to establish relations with Israel.
Morocco and Sudan later signed agreements with Israel.
US President Joe Biden’s administration has pledged to “extend and deepen” the accords.
“We will seek to extend and deepen Israel’s growing ties to its neighbours and other Arab states, including through the Abraham Accords, while maintaining our ironclad commitment to its security,” said a US strategy document detailing a five-pronged approach to Middle East security.
“We will also continue to promote a viable two-state solution that preserves Israel’s future as a Jewish and democratic state while meeting Palestinian aspirations for a secure and viable state of their own.”