ISLAMABAD – Pakistan’s foreign office on Friday said the historic UAE-Israel deal has “far-reaching implications” and its approach will be guided by Palestinian aspirations.
“We have noted the Joint Statement announcing agreement of UAE and Israel to have full normalization of relations. This is a development with far-reaching implications,” the FO statement said.
“Pakistan has an abiding commitment to the full realization of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, including the right to self-determination. Peace and stability in the Middle East region is also Pakistan’s key priority,” it added.
#Pakistan’s statement on the announcement of agreement between #UAE and #Israel to have full normalization of relations.
🔗https://t.co/HHSk5iNNuv pic.twitter.com/Gi5RdSeb7N— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) August 14, 2020
On Thursday, Israel and the United Arab Emirates announced they are establishing full diplomatic relations in a US-brokered deal that required Israel to halt its contentious plan to annex occupied West Bank land sought by the Palestinians.
The historic deal delivered a key foreign policy victory to President Donald Trump as he seeks re-election and reflected a changing Middle East in which shared concerns about archenemy Iran have largely overtaken traditional Arab support for the Palestinians.
A spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said the deal amounts to “treason,” and should be reversed.
The agreement makes the UAE the third Arab country, after Egypt and Jordan, to have full diplomatic ties with Israel. They announced it in a joint statement, saying deals between Israel and the UAE were expected in the coming weeks in such areas as tourism, direct flights and embassies.
Trump, who first announced the peace deal, called it “a truly historic moment.”
