• Officials from the UAE and the Jewish state have increased contacts since normalizing ties earlier this month
• The health ministers of Israel and the UAE also spoke by telephone and discussed cooperation

DUBAI: The defense ministers of the United Arab Emirates and Israel spoke via telephone Tuesday focusing on their countries’ move to normalize ties, state media reported.

Officials from the UAE and the Jewish state have increased contacts since the announcement earlier this month that they would establish diplomatic relations in a landmark US-backed deal.

The UAE’s Mohammed bin Ahmad Al-Bawardi and Israel’s Benny Gantz “expressed their conviction that this accord will enhance the chances of peace and stability in the region as it represents a positive step in this direction,” reported the official Emirati news agency, WAM.

“They both noted that they were looking forward to strengthening communication channels and establishing solid bilateral relations for the benefit of their countries in particular and the region as a whole.”

This comes amid US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s regional tour to push other Arab states to normalize ties with Israel.

On Monday, the health ministers of Israel and the UAE also spoke by telephone and discussed cooperation in the fight against the novel coronavirus.

Even before the UAE’s move to become the third Arab country to establish full diplomatic ties with Israel, firms from both countries had agreed to collaborate against the respiratory disease.

AFP