Israel, USA, Bahrain, Egypt, Emirates and Morocco meet in Bahrain at the Negev Forum

June 27. (EUROPA PRESS) –

The authorities of Israel, the United States, Bahrain, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Morocco met this Monday in Manama, the capital of Bahrain, to hold a second meeting of the Negev Forum, a permanent regional meeting to create a front against Iran in the region.

Senior officials and representatives of the Foreign Ministries of the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Morocco, the United States and Israel attended this meeting, where regional and international threats were discussed, according to the BNA news agency.

The six countries have decided, as stated in a joint statement from the Israeli Foreign Ministry, to work decisively to bring security, prosperity and stability to the Middle East, especially in the face of “the long-awaited visit of US President Joe Biden to Israel” and other parts of the region.

“This meeting demonstrates the strength of our relations, our shared commitment to cooperation, and the significant opportunities offered by improving relations between Israel and its neighbors, demonstrating what can be achieved by working together to overcome shared challenges,” they declared. .

Therefore, the participants have assured that these connections will be used to “create momentum in Israeli-Palestinian relations, towards a negotiated solution to the conflict and as part of the efforts to achieve a just, lasting and comprehensive peace.”

The meeting, a permanent regional forum held annually since the summit in the Israeli town of Sde Boker in the Negev desert, marks an attempt by Israel and its Arab allies to create a front against Iran in the region.

During the summit, different working groups have been established to address regional security, food and water security, energy, health, education and tolerance, and tourism — none to deal with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. -. Each of the six Negev summit countries heads one of the working groups, which will meet several times a year.

Likewise, they have outlined a framework document that establishes the objectives of the Forum and the working methods of its quadripartite structure: the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, the Presidency, the Steering Committee and the working groups.

The next meeting, as revealed in the statement, will take place in Israel, which sponsored the first meeting. In fact, Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said the first meeting was “historic.”

Outside the meeting, the US Undersecretary of State for Near East Affairs, Yael Lempert, met on Monday with senior officials from Bahrain, including the country’s Foreign Minister, Abdulatif bin Rashid Al Zayani.