Gabriella Bolter and Trevor Hunnicutt
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden welcomed his United Arab Emirates counterpart to the White House on Monday and said the two leaders would discuss ways to ease tensions between Israel and Lebanon and efforts to secure a ceasefire in Gaza.
President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are scheduled to meet separately with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the first in a series of foreign summits during the week of the United Nations General Assembly.
At the start of his meeting with the UAE leader, Biden said Lebanon and Gaza would be high on the agenda for talks, along with discussions on artificial intelligence.
Biden said he had been briefed on the latest developments in Israel and Lebanon ahead of the meeting, adding: “We remain in touch with our counterparts in both countries and are working to de-escalate tensions so that people can return home safely.”
Sheikh Mohammed said his country was “unwaveringly committed” to working with the United States and deepening the strategic partnership between the allies.
Harris will also discuss efforts to secure a Gaza ceasefire and hostage agreement in her separate meeting with the UAE leader, a White House official said. The visit marks the first time an Emirati president has visited the White House.
The meeting will be an opportunity for Harris, the Democratic nominee in the Nov. 5 presidential election, to showcase her national security skills at a time when the 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 274 people according to Lebanese health officials, marking Lebanon’s deadliest day in decades and escalating the nearly year-long conflict with its Iran-backed enemies.
After nearly a year of war with Hamas on Gaza’s southern border, Israel has shifted its focus to the northern border, where Hezbollah has been firing rockets into Israel in support of its ally Hamas.
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 Gabriella Bolter, Andrea Shalal and Trevor Hunnicutt; Editing by Nick Zieminski)