ABU DHABI: Saudi Arabia denied that a meeting had taken place between its commerce minister and his Israeli counterpart on Monday, after a viral video showed their interaction on the sidelines of a World Trade Organization conference in Abu Dhabi.
The kingdom’s state news agency SPA reported, citing an official Saudi source, that Commerce Minister Majid bin Abdullah al-Qasabi was standing alongside his Nigerian counterpart when “an unknown individual approached the minister to offer greetings.”
He “later identified himself as the minister of economy in the Israeli occupation government,” SPA said, quoting the official Saudi source.
Israeli Economy and Industry Minister Nir Barkat mentioned the interaction earlier on Monday, voicing confidence that the countries can “make history together,” Barkat’s office said.
Trade ministers from around the world gathered on Monday for the four-day WTO meeting which aims to set new global commerce rules.
The interaction between Qasabi and Barkat was a rarity given the lack of formal relations between their countries, though the United States has sought to bring them closer.
The source also stressed the kingdom’s “steadfast stance on the Palestinian cause and its support for the resilience of the Palestinian people against Israeli aggression,” SPA said.
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