From June 13-18, 2025, the N7 Initiative, a partnership between the Atlantic Council and the Jeffrey M. Talpins Foundation, sponsored a bipartisan congressional delegation (CODEL) to Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates and spoke with senior Israeli officials to stress that greater regional integration remains the best path out of the current turmoil and towards a more stable and prosperous Middle East.
The congressional delegation included Representative Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), Representative Zach Nunn (R-IA), and Representative Don Bacon (R-NE). It was led by Representative Brad Schneider (D-IL), co-chair of the Abraham Accords Caucus and a longtime advocate for regional cooperation in the Middle East. Their visit underscored growing bipartisan interest in unlocking the long-term strategic potential of the Abraham Accords and regional integration. Held at a moment of regional crisis and intensifying threats, the CODEL served as a timely vehicle to assess the current landscape and chart a path forward.
The group met with heads of state, foreign ministers, senior business executives, and policy experts to explore how to safeguard and expand regional cooperation under the shadow of conflict. Discussions emphasized opportunities for closer strategic coordination on emerging technologies, energy cooperation, and trade connectivity, including the potential of initiatives like the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC). Delegation members also focused on using legislative tools and diplomatic engagement to reinforce the normalization process and support shared U.S.-regional security objectives.
