President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris met with Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, president of the United Arab Emirates, at the White House on Monday amid violence in Gaza, the civil war in Sudan and the development of artificial intelligence.
The meetings marked the first visit by an Emirati president to the United States since the Emirates was founded in 1971. Mr. Biden and Ms. Harris held separate meetings with Sheikh Mohammed.
“I welcome the opportunity to open a new chapter,” Biden said in the Oval Office. “The United Arab Emirates is a nation of pioneers who are always looking to the future, who are always making big bets, and that’s something our countries and our people have in common.”
The meeting between the two leaders comes amid growing concerns among U.S. officials about a possible escalation of tensions in the Middle East into a broader war.
The Emirates has helped evacuate seriously wounded and sick Gazans and is seen as a key partner in the eventual reconstruction of the Palestinian territory after the war between Israel and Hamas. The Emirates said last week that it would refuse to support any post-war reconstruction effort in Gaza without a clear plan for the creation of a Palestinian state.
After greeting Sheikh Mohammed at the White House, Biden ignored questions about whether Israel and Hamas could reach a ceasefire deal before his term ends. The Pentagon is sending more troops to the Middle East after Israeli airstrikes against Hezbollah killed hundreds in Lebanon on Monday.
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