Israel, UAE, US, India to form joint economic forum

By Yousef Ibrahim

JERUSALEM (AA) - Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said on Tuesday that he agreed with his US, Emirati, and Indian counterparts to establish a forum for economic cooperation.

Lapid tweeted that he and his counterparts met in a virtual meeting and "decided to establish an international forum for economic cooperation."

The four ministers "discussed possibilities for joint infrastructure projects in a wide range of fields," he added.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed the virtual meeting with Lapid, Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, and Emirati Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, saying they discussed "shared issues of concern in the region and globally."

On Monday, Lapid met with Jaishankar in Jerusalem where both agreed to resume talks on a bilateral free trade agreement.

On Sept. 15, 2020, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain signed a US-sponsored deal to normalize relations, followed by Sudan, and Morocco.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar in Ankara