MIDDLE EAST (Washington Insider Magazine) – A historical meeting of diplomacy has taken place between Egypt, Israel, and the UAE this week. Government leaders decided to convene on the basis of continued tensions in the Ukrainian-Russian conflict, as well as the desire for peace in the region. There were also other topics of discussion, including the Iranian nuclear deal and trade relations.
The talks were hosted by the Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. While talks occurred early this week, they did continue in bilateral discussion form as well to discuss key topics of interest. The agenda for these historical talks included food, safety, market stability, and energy security throughout the respective regions. This was a timely topic, as the recent COP 26 event has placed pressure on all developing nations to identify new sources of green energy.
The goal of these talks was to strengthen the respective countries in a unified way and promote peace amid a time of national turbulence in the surrounding countries. Israel used this meeting as a political opportunity as well, taking the opportunity to speak to government officials within the United States government.
Israeli government members are urging the U.S. to abandon talks with Iran about a new potential agreement that would be akin to the 2015 nuclear deal, which was abandoned by the Trump administration shortly after he was sworn into office. President Biden has maintained a far more lenient stance on the topic and appears to be entertaining the idea of entering an agreement that would offer similar parameters to the nation regarding nuclear energy and development.
Part of the motivation of this meeting is supposed to be rising costs, as global market instability causes cases of acute and worsening inflation around the world. This is especially true for Egypt, which has had to devalue its national currency by up to 14 percent earlier on in the week. This is largely due to the Ukraine commodity prices rising thanks to continuing Russian tensions and strain on the global economy.
This meeting was the first of its kind, prompting a kind of three-way support beginning to form in the Middle East. The partnership between Egypt and Israel had been formalized in the late 70s, but the addition of the UAE in more recent days has appeared to strengthen the political ties and reliance from both parties.
Historically, the UAE became formally diplomatic with the nation of Israel under the Abraham Accords, which were finalized as early as 2020. There is great talks and hope around what this partnership will offer the nations as contention continues around the globe.
This comes in quite a timely fashion, as the newly discussed nuclear talks with Iran and the U.S. may prompt a more violent middle east. Gulf states have opposed this deal since its inception, as Iran has continued to be less than transparent about their nuclear agenda and developments.
The strength of this political alliance may be tested depending on the United States’ support of Iran in this new agreement, which could have detrimental effects to the overall stability of the region.
