I2U2, previously known as the International Forum for Economic Cooperation, is a multilateral grouping of India, Israel, the UAE, and the USA. Ahmed Albanna, Ambassador of the UAE to India, called I2U2 the West Asian QUAD. The group was initiated during the meeting of the four countries’ foreign ministers on October 2021. The inaugural summit was a success just because the grouping was established amidst the geopolitical scenario of West Asia. The grouping signals a positive response and acceptance towards the Abraham Accords while restoring the balance of power in the region with Turkey and Iran. According to the joint statement issued after the virtual summit in July 2022, “This unique grouping of countries aims to harness the vibrancy of our societies and entrepreneurial spirit to tackle some of the greatest challenges confronting our world, with a particular focus on joint investments and new initiatives.”
With a new geopolitical orientation and combining strengths, I2U2 had an energetic, ambitious, and multi-dimensional agenda to bring about cooperation in various avenues like water, energy, transportation, space, health, and food security. For the members, it’s an opportunity to expand their diplomatic reach and engage an influential region in West Asia. The I2U2 hopes to counter China’s growing geopolitical and economic influence, notably the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), by bringing India, Israel, and the UAE into ‘The Partnership for Infrastructure and Investment initiative by the G7. The US hopes to entice Israel and the UAE to reduce Chinese investments in seaports and the telecom sector.
For India, the grouping bolsters economic ties and deeper engagements with West Asia. India independently shares good bilateral relations with all the members. Indian expatriates constitute a significant part of the UAE workforce, and India is the Emiratis’ second-most crucial trading partner. Israel is a major supplier of military equipment to India and has shared 30 years of successful diplomatic relations. The US is India’s largest trading partner, and both countries share a strategic relationship.
The I2U2 offers a platform for India to engage West Asia geopolitically and take up a more active leadership role while maintaining its strategic autonomy and national interest. The I2U2 has already brought investments to India like food parks, energy projects, and semiconductor plants. During the first virtual summit, PM Modi said, “From this first summit, I2U2 has established a positive agenda. We have identified joint projects in various sectors and prepared a roadmap. By mobilising our mutual strength, capital, expertise, and markets, we can speed up our agenda and make important contributions to the global economy. Our cooperative framework is also a good model for practical cooperation amid increasing global uncertainty.”
After the historical isolation of Israel in West Asia, I2U2 provides a diplomatic platform for its engagement in the region. The newly formed Abraham accords, coupled with the I2U2, can benefit the region in terms of the expansion of ties and open doors for further cooperation. The primary intention of I2U2 is to focus on integrating Israel into West Asia. In the joint statement released, the four leaders affirmed their support for peace and the normalisation of ties with Israel. Israel’s former National Security Advisor, Maj Gen Yaakov Amidror, told PTI, “India can also help to enhance and expand the scope of the Abraham Accords by bringing in new countries.”
US-UAE ties have been soured, specifically due to the UAE’s refusal to support the US in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. I2U2 offers avenues of cooperation between the UAE and the US on geoeconomic interests. During the first virtual summit, UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan said, “Only partnership can overcome today’s conflicts and overlapping challenges, the most important of which are food and energy security, climate change, and healthcare.” Formal ties between Israel and the UAE will benefit the region massively, including potential ties for Israel with other Arab nations that were not a part of the Abraham accords.
I2U2 offers a rare and unique economic combination with India’s market, Israeli technology, the US industrial complex, and Emirati finances.
The grouping is criticised for two reasons: one, its members’ different strategic perspectives on the existing world order, and two, the group’s choice not to address traditional security issues. On one hand, the US and India view China as a major threat, while Israel and the UAE share warm economic relations with China. Irrespective of the criticism, I2U2 has the potential to expand into other avenues of cooperation and new areas in the future, including technology and space.
(Lalitha S is a PG student, Central University of Kerala and Kumar is Assistant Professor, St Joseph’s University, Bengaluru)