Israeli Minister of Economy and Industry Amir Peretz spoke on Wednesday with the Minister of Economy of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Abdullah bin Touq Al-Marri, a day after the two countries signed a historic peace treaty on the lawns of the White House in Washington.
In a warm conversation between the two, Peretz shared with his Emirate colleague that after he was wounded during his military service “he swore to himself for the sake of the children and grandchildren in the area that his next war would be the war for peace.”
Serving as an armament officer in the Paratroopers Brigade Peretz was seriously injured in the Sinai in 1974.
Peretz offered to promote two agreements, one a cooperation agreement in the field of economics and trade and the other an agreement in the field of research and development.
The Emirati Minister welcomed the direction and said that “we have been in talks for three weeks regarding trade agreements with Israel and I hope that things will be implemented soon.”
The also discussed joint Israel-UAE-Palestinian Authority (PA) projects, “because any such project can significantly reduce violence in the region,” Peretz asserted.
Peretz invited bin Touq to visit Israel, and the latter accepted the invitation and reciprocated by inviting Peretz to the Emirates, but not before he arrived in Israel with a camera to photograph Israel’s landscapes and explore its food culture, bin Touq quipped.
At the end of the conversation, initiated by the Emirati Economy Minister, the ministers exchanged personal telephone numbers and even checked if it works live.
“Now we are both friends and partners,” bin Touq.
Several Israeli companies have already signed memoranda with UAE companies on several spheres of collaboration, including banking and maritime shipping.
Israel and the UAE have signed an MOU on cooperation in the fields of banking and finance, the first outcome of the historic meeting between the two countries in Abu Dhabi.