Context:
The U.S. believes that ‘I2U2’, a group comprising India, Israel, the U.S., and the UAE, can become “a feature” of the West Asian region, just like the Quad is for the Indo-Pacific.
Relevance:
GS II- International Relations
Dimensions of the Article:
- About I2U2 Initiative
- What is the aim of I2U2 grouping?
- Significance
About I2U2 Initiative:
- Following the Abraham Accords between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, I2U2 was founded in October 2021 to address marine security, infrastructure, and transportation challenges in the region.
- It was known as the ‘International Forum for Economic Cooperation’ at the time.
- The ‘West Asian Quad‘ was coined to describe this situation.
- India, Israel, the United States, and the United Arab Emirates have formed the I2U2 initiative.
- ‘I2’ refers for India and Israel in the group’s name, while ‘U2’ stands for the United States and the United Arab Emirates.
- This is an outstanding achievement that reflects the region’s geopolitical shifts.
Focus:
This will not only revitalize and re-energize the system of alliances and partnerships around the world, but also stitch together partnerships that did not exist previously or were not utilized to their full extent.
What is the aim of I2U2 grouping?
- Its stated aim is to discuss “common areas of mutual interest, to strengthen the economic partnership in trade and investment in our respective regions and beyond”.
- Six areas of cooperation have been identified by the countries mutually, and the aim is to encourage joint investments in water, energy, transportation, space, health, and food security.
Significance:
- It empowers partners and encourages them to collaborate more closely, resulting in a more stable region.
- India is seen as a large consumer market as well as a large producer of high-tech and highly sought-after items in the United States.
- When it comes to Israel’s relationship with the United Arab Emirates, the US wants to improve commercial and economic ties between the two nations.
- The Abraham Accords will allow India to enhance its relationship with Israel without jeopardising its ties with the UAE and other Arab states.
– Source: The Hindu
