I2U2 Summit: The new I2U2 grouping of India, Israel, UAE and the US will soon hold its first-ever I2U2 virtual summit in July 2022.

Key Details:

• The United States is the latest addition to the grouping which is now being termed I2U2 (India, Israel, US and UAE).
• As per the White House, the I2U2 group has been formed as part of the United States Government's efforts to re-energize and revitalize American alliances all over the world.
• According to the US State Department, India, Israel, and the UAE are technology hubs and there are a variety of areas where these countries can work together.
• They also pointed out that India is a big consumer market and is also a large manufacturer of high-tech and highly sought-after goods. So, there are a number of areas where these countries can work together, whether it's technology, trade, climate, COVID-19, and potentially even security as well.

About the summit of the I2U2 grouping:

• The first virtual meeting of Biden, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and President Mohammed bin Zayed of the UAE will be during US President Joe Biden travel to this region from July 13-16, 2022.
• The leaders of the four countries amongst the other things will discuss areas of cooperation humanitarian aid and food security issues that countries are battling after the conflict in Ukraine began in February this year.
• There will also be engagements with nearly a dozen counterparts from across the region and beyond.

Background:

• The grouping of the four nations- India, Israel, United Arab Emirates, and the United States met for the first time under a new framework in October 2021.
• The meeting of the foreign ministers of the four countries took place during External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s visit to Israel.
• At that time, the grouping of the four-nation was called the ‘International Forum for Economic Cooperation.

This time, the meeting between the grouping of four nations will take place at the level of the heads of government/state- an upgrade.

• The grouping dealt with the issues concerning maritime security, infrastructure, digital infrastructure, and transport.

What is I2U2?

• I2U2 is the new grouping formed by four nations- India, Israel, the United States, and the United Arab Emirates.
• The countries share a number of global challenges in common, including the food security crisis and defence, which will be a focus of the four-nation meeting.

India and I2U2:

India's decision to form a new bloc with the US, the UAE and Israel reflected its intention to use the Abraham Accords to strengthen its relations with Israel without jeopardizing its relationships with the UAE and other Arab states.

Note: India is well positioned globally. It has a presence across most nations through various groupings like Quad, BRICS, ASEAN, and G20. India has also been invited to G7 which Germany is hosting later this month.