Barely nine months after the first meeting of the foreign ministers of India, Israel, the UAE and the US termed “The Western Quad”, the leaders of the four countries held a virtual summit. Coinciding with President Biden’s visit to Israel, the leaders of the four countries- US President Joe Biden, Israel Prime Minister Yair Lapid, Prime Minister Modi and President of UAE Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan held the first-ever meeting of atypically named -I2U2.
Akin to the Quad that has buttressed the
Indo-Pacific construct, I2U2 is expected to make “West Asia” a geopolitical
reality. But unlike the Quad, which graduated to a leadership summit after 13
years of its existence, the foreign ministers and sherpas of I2U2 held several
rounds of meetings shaping the objectives of the new grouping. The intent of
the group is to mobilize private sector capital and deploy it for economic
cooperation in many areas. Instructively so, the sherpas are drawn from the
economic division of each of these countries.
Summing up
the broad agenda of I2U2, PM Modi, in his opening remarks stated- “It is
clear that vision and agenda of I2U2 is progressive and practical. By
mobilising the mutual strengths of our countries- Capital, Expertise and
Markets, we can accelerate our agenda, and contribute significantly to the
global economy. Our cooperative framework is also a good model for practical
cooperation in the face of increasing global uncertainties”1.
Drawing from
their experience perhaps, the US and India which are part of the Quad, have set
the ground running by adopting a bottom-up approach. Building on the strength
of the strategic partnership between each of these countries and focusing on
cooperation in technical areas, they have set the wheel running. Member
countries have identified six areas for joint investments and new
initiatives-water, energy, transportation, space, health and food security.
The
challenges of the post-pandemic world have been exacerbated by the Ukraine war
which dramatically worsened the global food crisis and energy security. In
their first meeting, leaders of I2U2 focused attention on two ambitious
projects- the food security project and the clean energy project2.
Accordingly,
the UAE would invest $2 billion towards developing a series of integrated food
parks in Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. Employing renewable energy sources, with
the expertise of the private sector companies of the US and Israel,
state-of-the-art climate-smart technologies will be incorporated to reduce food
waste and spoilage and conserve fresh water. Additionally, the US and Israel
would offer innovative solutions to contribute to the sustainability of these
projects. India will provide the land and will facilitate the integration of
the agricultural produce with the food parks. Clearly, the major outcomes will be the maximization
of crop yields, enhancement of Indian farmers’ incomes and contribution toward
food security of the Middle East and South Asia.
As part of the
Arab Nations Food Security Program, in December 2020, at the height of farmers’
protests, India and UAE signed a $7 billion food corridor agreement3
and envisaged its implementation under the umbrella of Abraham Accords-
Israel-UAE Peace Agreement. Indeed, by 2021, India has replaced Brazil as the
major food supplier of Arab countries4. I2U2 has infused
fresh impetus to the food security aspect which is very vital for Arab
countries. The project will also review trade barriers, bring about harmonization
of food safety and quality standards and establish benchmarks for the export of
perishable food products and roll out a trade facilitation mechanism to
facilitate a hassle-free export of food products from India. Always at the
receiving end of phytosanitary issues, India would immensely benefit from the
standard practices of project3. India is also likely to join
the Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate initiative (AIM for Climate).
Another important
area actively prompted by all four member countries is clean energy. This is a
priority for the UAE, host of COP28 in 2023 and home to the International
Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). India
has set an ambitious target of 500GW non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030 and the
planned commencement of the hybrid renewable energy project of 300MW wind and
solar capacity at Dwarka, Gujarat, will augur well for India’s energy security
aspirations with UAE-based companies serving as knowledge and investment
partners5. Together with the active participation of companies
from the US and Israel, India can turn into a global hub for alternate supply
chains in renewable energy. India has developed its own OPEC for solar energy
with the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and the thrust of the clean energy
project of I2U2 on renewable energy will add a fresh impetus to India’s quest
for reliable energy security.
I2U2 is envisaging
mobilizing private sector capital and expertise to modernize infrastructure and
connectivity, improve health and access to vaccines, solutions for waste
management and development of critical emerging and green technologies. Together,
the complementary capabilities of the US investment and technical expertise,
Israel’s pre-eminence in advanced technology, UAE’s experimentation with
competitive policies and India’s talented manpower can help in building a
strong ecosystem for Startups.
With
economic cooperation as the cornerstone energetically advancing Abraham
Accords, I2U2 delivers on the promise of Israel’s integration with the region
and lays the ground for closer coalescing of the Middle East and South Asia. A
coherent agenda of I2U2 not withstanding trenchant disagreements indicates that
countries have a deep sense of clarity.
Regarding
the Ukraine crisis, India, Israel and UAE have more or less adopted a similar
approach towards Russia which is at odds with the US. Israel and UAE look to
China as an opportunity in terms of investment and infrastructure development. However,
roiled in an ongoing border standoff, facing regional security challenges and
riddled with multiple divergences, India considers China an adversary while the
US deems China a strategic challenge. Even countries have differing views on
Iran. Betting on the collective strengths and complementary capabilities, I2U2
drew up a non-military agenda and now the group will be assessed for its
delivery.
Geopolitics
is moving into an arena of closed minilaterals with a defined purpose and
absolute unanimity is a rarity now. Countries are forming coalitions to pursue
their interests. For the first time, the Middle East is not a source of a
global problem but is at the forefront of seeking solutions for the challenges
of the 21st century.
Retracting
from the Middle East, the US is now diverting its attention and resources to
the most happening geopolitical theatre, Indo-Pacific. To consolidate regional
stability, India with huge demographic strength, military powers, economic
potential and regional power has been looped in. While disaster relief in the
aftermath of the 2004 tsunami has triggered the Quad, responding to
geopolitical uncertainties, with economic cooperation as the cornerstone, the
US has shepherded the countries to come together into a minilateral.
Unlike the
Quad, which was labelled as “Asia’s NATO”, regional integration seems to be the
main tagline of the I2U2. Shedding wariness, Modi has rescued India-UAE ties
from the rut, by giving political imprimatur to the relationship with Israel
and made the biggest makeover to harness the investment and advanced technology
expertise of the region. Factoring China’s extensive global penetration, India
is making strategic gains in the region. Coinciding the summit, Adani Ports and
Gadot of Israel clinched the Haifa port bid6. Through
nimble-footed diplomacy, India is exploring new opportunities and the emergence
of I2U2 as a coherent group is a recognition of its burgeoning defence and
strategic cooperation with the Middle East.
Throwing
away “hesitations of history”, stepping out of its shell and seeking a larger
role in the region, India is now steadily expanding its outreach with multiple
partners. With every new engagement, India is expanding its vistas of
cooperation and optimistically pursuing various options to tread the path of
sustainable growth and economic development.
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