Trevor Hunnicutt
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris will discuss efforts to secure a ceasefire in Gaza and a hostage agreement when she meets with the president of the United Arab Emirates on Monday, a White House official said.
Harris and U.S. President Joe Biden are each due to meet with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the first in a series of foreign summits during the week of the UN General Assembly.
The meetings offer Harris an opportunity to demonstrate her national security skills at a time when the Democratic administration is under increasing pressure to contain conflict in the Middle East.
Israel pounded hundreds of Hezbollah positions with airstrikes on Monday, killing at least 182 people according to Lebanese health officials, marking Lebanon’s deadliest day in the nearly year-long conflict with its Iran-backed foes.
The White House talks are also expected to discuss the Gulf nations’ involvement in the conflict in Sudan and their artificial intelligence plans, an ambitious endeavor that has also drawn interest from China, a U.S. geopolitical rival.
(Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt and Nick Zieminski Editing)