Economic ministers of Israel and Saudi Arabia exchange views
Published: Tuesday, Feb 27th 2024, 07:40
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At the opening of the 13th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Abu Dhabi on Monday, a rather rare meeting took place. The ministers of Israel and Saudi Arabia talked for a few moments in the hall.
The pictures showed a handshake, a smile and a few words between Israeli Economy Minister Nir Barkat and his Saudi counterpart Majed Al Qasabi. The content of the exchange was not revealed.
Before the massacre on 7 October 2023, both countries had made progress towards a possible normalization of their relations. Since then, Israel has expressed its interest in extending the agreements concluded with several countries, including the United Arab Emirates, to Saudi Arabia.
"A little tiring"
On Monday afternoon, the ministers of the 164 WTO member states discussed trade and the environment: "We cannot assume that the problems of climate change will be solved without trade," WTO chief Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala told the press.
Participants were encouraged to answer questions on the topic during the session. It was a first attempt to determine whether something more formal could be implemented later.
The meeting symbolized the interest of states in addressing the issue of trade and the environment. This went so far that actors such as the European Union did not get a chance to speak. "It was a bit tiring," one participant from a regional bloc told the Keystone-SDA news agency. Switzerland, for whom the issue is important, was the first of the more than 60 delegations to speak.
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