UAE crown prince, Israeli president exchange invitations for visits

Rivlin expresses his deep thanks for UAE’s efforts made to sign historic peace treaty while Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan says agreement on ties with Israel will contribute to stability of entire region.

CAIRO - Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan and Israeli President Reuven Rivlin exchanged invitations on Tuesday to visit their respective countries, UAE state news agency WAM reported, the latest step in Israel's thaw with Arab states.

In his letter, "the Israeli president expressed his deep thanks for the efforts made to sign the historic peace treaty, which launched a new phase of relations between the two countries", WAM said.

For his part, the crown prince said an agreement on ties with Israel would "contribute to the stability of the entire region," WAM reported.

The news agency did not say when the visits would take place.

The UAE and its Gulf neighbour Bahrain normalised relations with Israel in US-brokered deals signed in September in Washington, making them the first Arab states in a quarter century to establish formal ties with Israel. Sudan has since indicated it will also establish ties.