Israel for the first time sent a Cabinet minister to the United Arab Emirates, with which it does not have relations, to attend a conference on alternative energy. National Infrastructure Minister Uzi Landau told The Associated Press on Sunday he did not meet with any Emirati officials while attending a conference of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), based in the UAE capital Abu Dhabi.
Landau conveyed the Israeli delegation entered the Arab country after "special arrangements" were made. "They had to do it since they committed themselves to making it possible for all member states, with or without relations, to participate in the agency's activities," Landau said while in Abu Dhabi.
An official with the UAE's Foreign Ministry told The Associated Press that allowing Israel Cabinet minister to participate in the agency's activities was "part of obligations in hosting (the agency) in the UAE." He added, that Israel's participation in the international event in Abu Dhabi will have "no implications or indications for bilateral links between the UAE and any other party."
