JERUSALEM - An Israeli flag was displayed for the first time in the United Arab Emirates this week when a delegation from the Jewish state attended an international meeting, the foreign ministry said on Thursday.
The two-member Israeli delegation attended the meeting of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) in Abu Dhabi on Monday, it said in a statement.
"Despite the fact that Israel does not have diplomatic relations with the United Arab Emirates, the Israeli representatives were received as equal members, and the Israeli flag flew for the first time in that country," it said.
A UAE official in Abu Dhabi played down the Israeli presence at the meeting, saying it did not mean normalisation of relations with the Jewish state and that the country had obligations as host of the international gathering.
"Such obligations do not impose on the host nation any consequence as regards diplomatic or other relations with those attending meetings of the organisation," said Abdel Rahim al-Awadi, the foreign minister's legal and international organisations adviser.
Israel has previously had trade offices in two Gulf Arab states, Oman and Qatar, which were opened in 1996 but both of which have since been closed.
Oman closed Israel's trade office in Muscat in October 2000 following the outbreak of the second Palestinian intifada and Qatar shut down Israel's trade office in January in protest over the Gaza war.
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