New Quad in making? US to hold first summit of 'West Asia Quad' with India, Israel, UAE

The launch of the 'new QUAD' will take place on Biden’s maiden trip to the Middle East, where he will visit Israel, the West Bank, and Saudi Arabia from July 13 to 16.

 

It should be noted that the group is called I2U2 - for India and Israel, whose names begin with the letter "I" and the US and UAE, which begin with the letter "U" - and it will be focused on West Asia. It is focused on expanding economic and political cooperation in the Middle East and Asia, including through trade, combating climate change, energy cooperation, and coordination on other vital shared interests.

 

 

 

As per the statement issued by the White House, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, US president Jow Biden, Israeli Prime Minister Neftali Bennet, and UAF president Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan will attend a virtual summit of the four countries.

 

The virtual summit with the I2U2 heads of state will focus on the "food security crisis and other areas of cooperation across hemispheres where UAE and Israel serve as important innovation hubs."

 

In an official statement, the White House said, "We consider these initiatives central to our strategy of empowering partners and encouraging them to work more closely together, which will lead to a more stable region and also to Israel’s security and prosperity over the longer term. US State Secretary Antony Blinken, just last month in the Negev, in southern Israel, met with counterparts from Abraham Accord partners UAE, Bahrain, and Morocco, together with Jordan and Egypt, highlighting these deepening regional partnerships."