UAE says it wants to exchange embassies lickety-split

The Foreign Minister of the UAE tells his Israeli counterpart in a letter that the Emirates is looking to establish an embassy in Tel Aviv as soon as possible.

An Emirati official handing a letter to Foreign minister Gabi Ashkenazi at a ceremony in Israel on October 20, 2020. (Courtesy: Foreign Ministry)

The letter from Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan is handed to Gabi Ashkenazi during a working lunch by a member of the delegation that made the trip to Israel. The two met in Berlin earlier this month in the first public high level bilateral between the countries.

In the letter Bin Zayed also expresses hopes that Israel will open an embassy in Abu Dhabi post haste, and thanks Ashkenazi for his hard work advancing ties according to the Israeli Foreign Ministry.

There is no immediate word if Ashkenazi has replied to the letter.

Speaking to Emirati journalists who made the trip, he tells them that Israel appreciates the courageous steps taken by Abu Dhabi in establishing ties, according to a statement from his ministry.