WASHINGTON: US President Joe Biden has designated the United Arab Emirates as a major defence partner of the US after talks with its president on issues that included the war in Gaza and growing Middle East instability.
India is the only other country to have been designated as a major defence partner of the US allowing close military cooperation through joint training, exercises and other collaborative efforts.
Biden and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan during the meeting called for urgent, uninterrupted humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza and shared their commitment to a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.
According to a statement on Tuesday, Biden during the meeting said he had been briefed on the latest developments between Israel and Lebanon, where Lebanese officials said Israeli airstrikes killed at least 492 people on Monday.
“My team is in constant contact with their counterparts, and we’re working to de-escalate in a way that allows people to return to their homes safely,” he said.
The two sides touched on the Gulf state’s involvement in the Sudan conflict, with both stressing that there was no military solution to the war, which has triggered the world’s largest displacement crisis.
They also highlighted plans to strengthen cooperation on clean energy, space exploration and artificial intelligence, where the UAE has launched ambitious plans drawing interest from China.
Meanwhile Vice-President Kamala Harris also separately met with the UAE leader, but the talks were closed to press. “The vice-president raised her deep concerns about the conflict in Sudan,” the White House said.
It said that during the meeting She expressed alarm at the millions of individuals who have been displaced by the war and the atrocities committed by the belligerents against the civilian population.
