Israel intelligence agency Mossad’s chief, Yossi Cohen, visits UAE

The head of Israel’s intelligence agency Mossad,  Yossi Cohen, visited the UAE on Tuesday, state news agency WAM has reported.

He was received by Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE’s national security adviser.

Sheikh Tahnoun praised the efforts made by Cohen, which he said had contributed to the success of the recent peace accord agreed between the UAE and Israel.

Last week, the UAE and Israel reached a historic agreement to normalise relations and establish diplomatic ties and cooperate in a number of areas including tourism, security, telecoms, energy, healthcare, and the establishment of reciprocal embassies too.

Sheikh Tahnoun said that the agreement would contribute ‏positively to achieving peace in the region and opening up new opportunities for bilateral cooperation in several fields.

‏He affirmed that the UAE is committed to the principles of peace and tolerance as well as promoting diplomacy that will contribute to the enhancement of stability in the region. ‏”The UAE will spare no efforts in delivering that goal,” he added.

As part of the agreement, Israel will stop the annexation of Palestinian territories.

Israeli President Reuven Rivlin has also invited UAE Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed to visit Jerusalem.

In his letter to the prince, Rivlin said the two countries had embarked on a process that he hoped would “set our region forward and bring economic well-being and provide prosperity and stability to the people of the Middle East as a whole,” reported Bloomberg.

Since the announcement of the agreement, several Israeli and Emirati technology firms have outlined plans to collaborate with one another in the fields of technology and healthcare, including jointly developing a Covid-19 testing device and cooperating within the field of stem cells research.

Read: Israel asks UAE Crown Prince to visit as peace moves intensify