Modi to join Biden at I2U2 virtual summit tomorrow

New Delhi/Washington: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate in the four-nation India-Israel-US-UAE (I2U2) virtual summit to be held on Thursday, New Delhi announced on Tuesday. He will participate in the summit along with US President Joe Biden, Israel’s new Prime Minister Yair Lapid and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

President Biden will be hosting the first-ever I2U2 summit during his visit to Israel later this week, which begins on Wednesday. “I2” stands for India and Israel, while “U2” stands for the United States and the UAE. During his Middle East trip, Mr Biden will also visit Saudi Arabia.

The four leaders will discuss “joint investments in six mutually identified areas such as water, energy, transportation, space, health, and food security”, and the group “intends to mobilise private sector capital and expertise to help modernise the infrastructure, low carbon development pathways for our industries, improve public health and promote the development of critical emerging and green technologies”, the MEA said.

Briefing reporters in Washington on Monday night, US national security adviser Jake Sullivan said the summit will focus on food security and the global food and energy crisis arising out of the Ukraine conflict.

Earlier, on Sunday, US secretary of state Antony Blinken had said that Russia’s aggression in Ukraine has impacted the entire world, including probably in Sri Lanka. “I think we are seeing that impact around the world, and it may be one of the contributing factors to what’s happened in Sri Lanka, although I think there were, as I’ve just said, many others that have come together.”

In a statement on Tuesday, New Delhi said: “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 our respective regions and beyond. These projects can serve as a model for economic cooperation and offer opportunities for our businesspersons and workers.”

The MEA went on to add: “The I2U2 grouping was conceptualised during the meeting of the foreign ministers of the four countries held on 18 October 2021. Each country also has sherpa-level interactions regularly to discuss the possible areas of cooperation. 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 mobilise private sector capital and expertise to help modernise the infrastructure, low carbon development pathways for our industries, improve public health, and promote the development of critical emerging and green technologies.”