Israeli foreign minister Yair Lapid visited the Israel pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai on 30 June, as part of his two-day ministerial visit to the UAE.

Lapid, who also serves as Israel's alternate prime minister, was accompanied at the site by Reem al-Hashimi, UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation and Expo 2020 Dubai's director-general, and other officials from both the UAE and Israel.

FM @yairlapid's visit to the #UAE continues. This morning, FM Lapid met in #Dubai with Reem Al Hashimi, #UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation and Director General of @expo2020dubai. pic.twitter.com/Kyrv16VYeg

— Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) June 30, 2021

In his official media statement, Lapid said: “Israel wants peace with its neighbours. With all its neighbours. We aren’t going anywhere. The Middle East is our home. We’re here to stay. We call on all the countries of the region to recognise that and to come and talk to us.”

Lapid's arrival in the UAE marks the first official visit by an Israeli minister to the UAE and follows the normalisation of ties between both countries last year.

On 29 June, Lapid met with Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan, UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. According to news agency Wam, the officials signed an agreement for economic and commercial cooperation between the two countries.

As part of his diplomatic visit, Lapid also inagurated the Israeli embassy in Abu Dhabi on the same day.

An Embassy is born!

Israel's new embassy to the United Arab Emirates in Abu Dhabi, inaugurated today by FM @yairlapid, will fortify and further develop 🇮🇱🇦🇪 relations.

FOLLOW the embassy on twitter @IsraelintheUAE & its Head of Mission @AmbassadorNaeh pic.twitter.com/5IY1AnUXFz

— Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) June 29, 2021

And on 30 June, he commemorated the opening of the Israel consulate in Dubai.

DUBAI: FM @YairLapid has just inaugurated the Consulate General of @IsraelDubai, and said:"What we're opening here today isn't only a consulate. It's a center of cooperation, a place that symbolizes our ability to think together, to develop together, to change the world together. pic.twitter.com/UicJutkv8D

— Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) June 30, 2021

Related reads:

• UAE appoints first ambassador to Israel
• Israel eyes GCC clean energy prospects
• Relationships with Israel will change the GCC