US says India strategically consequential country for Quad and I2U2

US National security advisor Jake Suvillian said that India is one of the largest and most strategically consequential countries in the Indo-Pacific.

New Delhi:Ahead of the maiden I2U2 or the West Asia Quad summit slated to be held on July 14, the US on Wednesday said that India plays a critical role in the Indo-Pacific. The maiden Summit of I2U2 will be held virtually on July 14.

The I2U2 Grouping was conceptualized during the meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the four countries held on October 18, 2021. Each country also has Sherpa-level interactions regularly to discuss the possible areas of cooperation.

Addressing a press briefing, US National Security Advisor Jake Suvillian said, "India is one of the largest, most significant, most strategically consequential countries in the Indo-Pacific, and so it should play a central role in our strategy, including through the Quad".

He noted that India also has very longstanding ties and engagement in the Middle East, and relationships not just with the Gulf countries but also with Israel. "And so just as the United States can play a critical and central role in helping deepen Israel’s integration into the region, India has a role to play in that as well", he added.

"Bringing together Israel, India, and the United Arab Emirates, especially around an issue where the four countries have unique capacities to bring to bear on agricultural technology, leading to greater food production, leading to an alleviation of the food security challenge — this is the kind of thing that fulfills the President’s vision of a more integrated, more globally engaged the Middle East across the board that isn’t just focused on issues that have been top of mind for American foreign policymakers over the last 20 years — terrorism and wars. This is a different kind of approach, and it’s about expanding partnerships, expanding the geography rather than contracting or narrowing it", US NSA told media persons.

The US now looks forward to Prime Minister Modi’s participation in this event and reiterated that I2U2 can become a feature of the broader region, just as the Quad has become a central pillar of the Indo-Pacific strategy of the United States.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be participating in an I2U2 Summit, along with Prime Minister of Israel Yair Lapid, President of the UAE Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and President of the USA Joseph R. Biden, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Tuesday.

With a geopolitical shift in the Western Indian Ocean region, the coming together of the new grouping also called the West Asia Quad - India, Israel, US, and UAE, is likely to help in greater engagement in various sectors and deal with challenges in the region.

I2U2 is aimed to encourage joint investments in six mutually identified areas such as water, energy, transportation, space, health, and food security. It intends to mobilize private sector capital and expertise to help modernize the infrastructure, and low carbon development pathways for our industries, improve public health, and promote the development of critical emerging and green technologies.

The leaders will discuss the possible joint projects within the framework of I2U2 as well as the other common areas of mutual interest to strengthen the economic partnership in trade and investment in the respective regions and beyond.

I2U2 was initially formed in October 2021 following the Abraham Accords between Israel and the UAE, to deal with issues concerning maritime security, infrastructure, and transport in the region. At that time, it was called the ‘International Forum for Economic Cooperation. It was referred to as the ‘West Asian Quad’.