‘’I look forward to strengthening the relations between Israel & the EU,’’ tweeted Haim Regev who during five years was director of the Middle East and Peace Process division at the Israeli foreign ministry.
Israel’s new ambassador to the European Union and NATO, Haim Regev, presented this week his credentials to the President if the European Council, Charles Michel.
‘’Today (15 October), I had the honor and the privilege to present my credentials to the President of the @EUCouncil, as the Ambassador of #Israel to the #EU and NATO and officially start my mission,’’ he tweeted.
‘’I look forward to strengthening the relations between Israel & the EU,’’ added.
Before his appointment, Regev was for five years director of the Middle East and Peace Process division at the Israeli foreign ministry. In this position, over the last twenty years he has been in contact with a ot of players in the Arab world.
He was one of the key diplomats who laid the groundwork for the Abraham Accords normalizing Israel’s relations with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco in 2020.
He has described the signing of the Accords ‘’an historic, watershed moment for the Middle East that marked the beginning of an entirely new chapter for the region.It represents a decision to build a future together that will benefit all of our peoples.’’
‘’These agreements proved that Israel is an integral and permanent part of the Middle East with much to contribute to the stability and prosperity of the region,’’ he added.
Regev arrived in Brussels at a time of improved relations between the EU and Israel, an improvement illustrated by the visit to the EU of Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid last July.
‘’I am looking forward to continuing the work of improving and strengthening multilateral and bilateral ties of Israel in the Middle East, this time with the EU’s involvement,’’ Regev said in an op-ed in Euobserver, a publication on EU affairs
‘’The EU can play a key role in the region by supporting trilateral projects, promoting its values, sponsoring people-to-people dialogue and fostering peace in the Middle East. The EU can join Israel and its moderate neighbours to write a new page in the history books,’’ he said.