US' Pompeo pays surprise visit to Oman
15:11, 27/08/2020, ThursdayU: Update: 15:14, 27/08/2020, Thursday
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US secretary of state's Mideast tour includes Israel, UAE, Sudan, Bahrain
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrived in Oman Thursday for an unannounced stopover.
"Arrived in Oman and will meet with Omani Sultan Haitham bin Tarik Al Said," Pompeo wrote on his Twitter account.
Before Oman, Pompeo paid a visit Israel, Sudan, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) during his Mideast tour.
"I look forward to discussing efforts to build unity among the Gulf Cooperation Council and build on the momentum to advance regional peace and prosperity," Pompeo added.
Although his visit was not announced by the State Department, some media reports revealed that Pompeo is visiting two countries within his current tour that developed relations with Israel.
The US top diplomat’s tour comes after the signing of a normalization deal between Israel and the UAE on Aug. 13 under the US sponsorship.
Palestinian groups, including the Palestinian Authority, denounced the Israel-UAE deal, saying it does not serve the Palestinian cause and ignores the rights of Palestinians.
The Palestinian Authority said that any normalization with Israel should be based on the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative on the principle of "land for peace" and not "peace for peace" as Israel calls.