US top diplomat to visit Israel, Palestine, Morocco, Algeria

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will depart for a five-day tour of the Middle East and North Africa beginning this weekend, the State Department said Thursday.

During his travels to Israel, Palestine, Morocco and Algeria, Blinken will "consult with partners on a range of regional and global priorities, including the Russian government’s war on Ukraine, Iran’s destabilizing activities, the Abraham Accords and normalization agreements with Israel," spokesman Ned Price said in a statement.

Blinken will discuss Israeli-Palestinian relations and "preserving the possibility of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict."

He will begin his trip with a visit to Israel and the West Bank where he will meet Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, Foreign Minister and Alternate Prime Minister Yair Lapid, Defense Minister Benny Gantz and President Isaac Herzog.

Blinken will also sit down with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas before flying to Morocco to meet Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita and other senior Moroccan officials.

While is in Rabat, Blinken will meet United Arab Emirates Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan "to discuss regional security and international developments."

Blinken will depart Morocco for Algeria to meet President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra to "discuss regional security and stability, commercial cooperation, advancing human rights and fundamental freedoms, and other areas of mutual concern."