The United States of America (USA) has announced the formation of I2U2, a new group that includes India, Israel, the USA, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
- The new grouping is known as “I2U2,” with “I” standing for India and Israel and “U” standing for the USA and the UAE.
- The grouping, which was given the name International Forum for Economic Cooperation and is commonly known as the “West Asian Quad”, was an outcome of the Abraham Accords that paved the way for trilateral collaboration between India, Israel and the UAE.
US President Joe Biden will host the first-of-its-kind virtual summit of I2U2 during his visit to West Asia from July 13 to 16, 2022 with Indian Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi, Israel’s PM Naftali Bennett, and UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
The summit will focus on the food security challenge and other areas of cooperation across hemispheres, with the UAE and Israel serving as significant innovation hubs.
I2U2 Grouping
It is an entirely new grouping of partners dedicated to enhancing economic and political cooperation in the Middle East and Asia, especially through trade, climate change mitigation, energy cooperation, and other vital shared interests.
Itinerary of US President Joe Biden
The virtual summit of the four countries, which would take place during Biden’s trip to the Middle East region from July 13 to 16, 2022, has the following itinerary:
i. The itinerary includes three stops in the Middle East region, the first of which is Israel, where President Biden will make his first visit as President over 50 years after his first visit as a young senator.
ii.The other two visits will be the West Bank, which is home to the state of Palestine, and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where he will meet with regional leaders.
iii. The US president will conclude his West Asia tour in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where he is expected to attend the summit of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council plus Egypt, Iraq, and Jordan (known as the GCC+3).
Note:
Biden has undertaken various multilateral dialogues and initiatives since assuming office in January 2021, including:
- AUKUS – a three-nation group: Australia, the United Kingdom (UK) & US
- A Quadrilateral dialogue with Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Uzbekistan
- He has s also reinforced and enhanced existing platforms like the Quad (India, US, Australia, and Japan) as well as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
Significance that India, Israel, and the UAE have with respect to the US
i. The US regards India as a big consumer market as well as a massive producer of high-tech and highly sought-after goods.
- As a result, there are several areas where I2U2 countries might collaborate, including technology, trade, climate, COVID-19, and possibly even security.
ii.When it comes to Israel’s relationship with the UAE, the United States seeks to strengthen trade and economic connections between the two countries.
iii. The US President’s visit will also focus on Israel’s growing integration into the region, especially through:
- The Abraham Accords with the UAE, Morocco, and Bahrain
- A deeper relation among Israel, Jordan, and Egypt, and
- The entirely new grouping I2U2
Strategy Behind US Initiative of I2U2 Grouping
i. The US has devised this strategy to revitalise and re-energize its global alliance and partnership structure and also to harness partnerships that did not exist before or were not fully utilised.
- This reflects the return of American leadership in bringing countries together to address common threats and challenges.
ii.With this new framework, the US hopes to strengthen its allies and urge them to collaborate more closely, which is a key for a more secure, prosperous, and stable Middle East in the long run.
About the United States (US):
President – Joe Biden
Capital – Washington, DC
Currency – United States Dollar (USD)
About the United Arab Emirates (UAE):
President – Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Capital – Abu Dhabi
Currency – Arab Emirati Dirham (AED)
