President Sheikh Mohamed and Jordan's King Abdullah II rejected any plans by Israel to annex the West Bank or any other parts of occupied Palestinian territory during talks in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.
The leaders said that such settlement expansion measures would undermine the long-proposed two-state solution to the raging conflict and would “pose a threat to regional peace, security, and stability”, state news agency Wam reported.
Sheikh Mohamed and King Abdullah set out their opposition to Israeli statements and positions that constitute a threat to the sovereignty of countries in the region.
They underlined their support for Gaza during discussions at Qasr Al Shati in Abu Dhabi, at the start of the Jordanian monarch's working visit to the Emirates.
The UAE had said on Wednesday that annexation of the occupied West Bank would constitute a red line for the country and undermine the vision and spirit of the Abraham Accords.
Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Wednesday presented a plan to annex the majority of the West Bank, urging Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to “make a historic decision to apply Israeli sovereignty to all open areas in Judea and Samaria”.
Israel has taken other steps in recent weeks that undermine the prospect of a Palestinian state, in particular approving construction of E1 – an illegal settlement with thousands of homes near Jerusalem.
Sheikh Mohamed and King Abdullah also explored ways to bolster co-operation between their countries during the high-level gathering.
The meeting was attended by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court; Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi; Sheikh Saif bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior; Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed; Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs; Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohamed, Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Court for Special Affairs; Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad, Adviser to the UAE President; Ali Al Shamsi, Secretary General of the Supreme Council for National Security; Humaid Abu Shabas, Chairman of the UAE Accountability Authority; Dr Ahmed Al Mazrouei, Chairman of the President’s Office for Strategic Affairs and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Office, along with several senior officials.
King Abdullah was joined by Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah; Prime Minister Jafar Hassan; Ayman Al Safadi, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, and a number of top officials.
Sheikh Mohamed later bade farewell to King Abdullah at Al Bateen Airport as he concluded his trip.
Sheikh Mohamed and King Abdullah meet regularly in support of long-standing ties between the nations and to review key regional issues.
In March, the two leaders held high-level talks at Al Bateen Palace focused on efforts to secure a ceasefire in Gaza and boost the flow of humanitarian aid into the enclave.
A comprehensive economic partnership agreement between the countries, which came into effect in May, is set to further strengthen deep-rooted links.
The Cepa, initially signed in October, will eliminate or reduce tariffs, remove trade barriers and boost market access, and marks a “new era of collaboration”, said Dr Thani Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade, in a statement at the time.
