Israeli Foreign Minister to Make First Visit to UAE

The Israeli Foreign Ministry said Monday that Lapid will visit the UAE on June 29-30. (Reuters)
The Israeli Foreign Ministry said Monday that Lapid will visit the UAE on June 29-30. (Reuters)
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Israeli Foreign Minister to Make First Visit to UAE

The Israeli Foreign Ministry said Monday that Lapid will visit the UAE on June 29-30. (Reuters)
The Israeli Foreign Ministry said Monday that Lapid will visit the UAE on June 29-30. (Reuters)

Israel’s new foreign minister will head to the United Arab Emirates next week for the first-ever visit by a top Israeli diplomat to the Gulf country, the ministry said Monday.

Foreign Minister Yair Lapid’s visit comes after the two countries normalized relations last year in an agreement brokered by the Trump administration, the first of four similar deals with Arab states.

Both Israel's new government and the Biden administration have said they hope to reach similar accords with other Arab states.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry said Lapid will visit the UAE on June 29-30, and will inaugurate an Israeli Embassy in Abu Dhabi and a consulate in Dubai.

Lapid was the driving force behind a new Israeli government sworn in just over a week ago that ended Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's record 12-year rule. Netanyahu had held up the agreements with the UAE, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco as among his biggest achievements.



UAE Interior Ministry: Extensive Search Underway for Missing Moldovan Man

UAE flag flies over a boat at Dubai Marina, Dubai, United Arab Emirates May 22, 2015. REUTERS/Ahmed Jadallah/File Photo
UAE flag flies over a boat at Dubai Marina, Dubai, United Arab Emirates May 22, 2015. REUTERS/Ahmed Jadallah/File Photo
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UAE Interior Ministry: Extensive Search Underway for Missing Moldovan Man

UAE flag flies over a boat at Dubai Marina, Dubai, United Arab Emirates May 22, 2015. REUTERS/Ahmed Jadallah/File Photo
UAE flag flies over a boat at Dubai Marina, Dubai, United Arab Emirates May 22, 2015. REUTERS/Ahmed Jadallah/File Photo

The UAE Ministry of Interior said on Saturday that it "received a report from the family of a Moldovan national named Zvi Kogan, stating that he had been missing and out of contact since last Thursday”.
The ministry confirmed that "relevant authorities began extensive search and investigation operations immediately upon receiving the report”, the UAE’s official news agency WAM reported Sunday.
The ministry also urged the public to obtain accurate information from official sources and not get misled by “malicious” rumors.
The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs is "closely following the case of the missing Moldovan citizen Zvi Kogan, maintaining communication with his family, and providing all necessary support”, it added..
Majed Al Mansouri, Director of the Foreign Nationals Affairs Department at the ministry, affirmed that the Ministry is closely monitoring the case and is in close contact with his family to provide them with all means of necessary support.
He also highlighted that the Ministry is in continuous contact with the Embassy of Moldova in Abu Dhabi in this regard.