US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said Friday that the United States will help bolster Israel's growing relations with Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Morocco, as well as Sudan and Kosovo, while encouraging other countries to normalize relations with it.
In a speech during a celebration marking the first anniversary of what is known as the "Abraham Accords", the agreements brokered by Washington and opened the door to public rapprochement between Israel and several Arab countries;
Blinken said Washington would also work to strengthen Israel's relations with Egypt and Jordan.
The US Secretary of State called on other Arab countries to recognize Israel, and said - during an online meeting with his Emirati, Bahraini, Moroccan and Israeli counterparts - "We will encourage more countries to follow the example of the UAE, Bahrain and Morocco. We want to expand the circle of peaceful diplomacy."
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett announced that his government would continue to implement normalization agreements with the UAE and Bahrain.
"The government of Israel under my leadership will continue to implement these agreements, in pursuit of a stable, secure and prosperous Middle East, for the future of our children," he said in a written statement.
The normalization agreements between Israel, the UAE and Bahrain, known as the "Abraham Accords", were signed at the White House on September 15, 2020.