Hungarian Foreign Minister To Attend Israel-U.A.E. Accord Signing At White House

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto will attend the signing ceremony in Washington of the agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) to establish full diplomatic ties, according to his spokesman.

Mate Paczolay said Szijjarto will attend the signing ceremony on September 15 at the invitation of U.S. President Donald Trump and will be the only European Union minister at the ceremony at the White House, Paczolay was quoted as saying September 13 by the Hungarian news agency MTI.

Israel and the U.A.E. announced on August 13 they were establishing full diplomatic relations in a U.S.-brokered deal that included an Israeli pledge to suspend its controversial plans to annex parts of the occupied West Bank.

The deal made the U.A.E. the first Gulf Arab state to establish full diplomatic ties and only the third Arab nation to have active diplomatic relations with Israel.

Trump, who helped broker the accord, announced on September 11 that Bahrain would join the agreement.

Major European powers like France and Britain welcomed the Israel-U.A.E. deal, and the European Union executive said it was good for regional stability.

Szijjarto commented on the agreement on Facebook on September 12, saying Trump “deserves gratitude” and praising Israeli, U.A.E., and Bahraini leaders.

"Since the White House prepared the agenda for stabilizing the region, this has been the second development to prove that this is the best peace plan thus far and promises to bring peace in the Middle East at last," he wrote.

While in Washington, Szijjarto will also hold talks with Trump's son-in-law and chief adviser, Jared Kushner, the minister's spokesman said.

Based on reporting by Reuters