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Rabat – US officials stressed the importance of regional cooperation on various issues after two days of talks between high-ranking officials from Negev countries in Abu Dhabi.
Speaking during a press briefing, Counselor of the US Department of State Derek Chollet said the 2023 Negev meetings “represent another critical step in the advancement of the Negev forum process.”
Chollet detailed that the forum’s members created six working groups to cover various issues such as regional security, clean energy, food and water security, health, tourism, and education.
“We try to develop clear and concrete steps that will augment cooperation and security,” he added, emphasizing that the goal of the Negev meetings is to make the lives of the people in the relevant countries more prosperous and peaceful.
Senior Official for the Bureau of Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Elizabeth Allen said that the Negev forum participants had a “very constructive dialogue” over the past two days that aimed to “promote a stronger sense of coexistence.”
The projects that the Negev members have in the works will positively benefit the region’s economy and create more jobs, adding that the dialogue is a long-term one that is now only in its beginning stages.
“We continue to see numerous benefits throughout the Middle East and North Africa following the signing of the Abraham Accords,” Allen emphasized, stressing the significance of direct flights to Tel-Aviv and cooperation on education.
US Permanent Representative to the UN Agencies in Rome Cindy McCain, was also part of the briefing, and stressed the importance of issues such as food and water security and climate change to the region.
She said that US officials and Negev countries are working to identify “specific and concrete projects” that they can develop in the short and long term to tackle those issues.
The Negev Forum, launched by the Biden administration, aims to strengthen and support the Abraham Accords, which saw Arab countries like Morocco, the UAE, Bahrain, and Sudan establish relations with Israel.
After the first meeting in Israel, an agreement was reached to turn the forum into an ongoing regional framework to strengthen cooperation and relations.
Speaking at the press briefing, Chollet said the US believes the forum should be “open,” and that the Biden administration is keen to have other countries to join. He added that America is “supportive” of Palestine and Jordan.
That being said, the official added that there has been no official announcement about any future members, and that the accords and normalization agreements are not a substitute for a peace agreement between Palestine and Israel.
