I2U2 Forum: UAE, US, India, Israel launch website to boost partnership

The UAE, USA, India, and Israel, the four countries that together constitute the I2U2 grouping, launched a uniquely structured I2U2 business coalition, also termed private enterprise partnership.

The announcement is made on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly by US Undersecretary for Economic Growth, Energy and the Environment Jose Fernandez, Israeli Foreign Ministry director Ronen Levi, UAE Minister of State Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh, and Indian External Affairs Secretary Dammu Ravi.

The I2U2 partnership, which was established last year, aims to bolster cooperation between participating countries in the fields of food security, water, energy, transportation, space, health, and technology.

In a sign of the public-private partnership that lies at the heart of the vision of the grouping, the US State Department signed a memorandum of understanding with the US-UAE Business Council, the UAE-India Business Council, and the UAE-Israel Business Council — which will together comprise the I2U2 Business Coalition. The other three governments aren’t officially a part of the MoU though it has their approval.

The UAE has established good bilateral relations with other I2U2 countries. Since the establishment of IU2u, the UAE has made vital efforts to bolster its partnership with the other three nations.

Earlier this month, UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan took part at the crucial G20 summit in India. During the summit, the UAE President, India, US, and Saudi Arabia announced a major railway deal, which has the potential to improve significant trade relations among these four nations, by linking railways.