Israel�s foreign minister says he recently met with a �high ranking persona� from the United Arab Emirates to improve ties between Israel and Arab states.

Israel Katz told a ministers� meeting on Tuesday that the two reached �substantial agreements,� adding that he was working toward �transparent normalization and signed agreements� with Gulf states. He added: �We do not have a conflict with them.�

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has often boasted of improving ties with Arab states that share Israel�s concerns about Iran. Katz visited the UAE for a U.N. conference earlier this year. The Israeli Foreign Ministry said he met with a senior UAE official there. Netanyahu visited Oman last year.

Israel�s conflict with the Palestinians is still widely seen as an obstacle to publicly improving ties with Arab states.

(AP)