As they virtually convened for the first leaders' conference of the ‘I2U2’ Group, the leaders of Israel, India, the United States, and the United Arab Emirates unveiled two major collaborative initiatives in the areas of food security and clean energy.
The joint statement stated that “the unique grouping of countries aims to harness the vibrancy of our societies and entrepreneurial spirit to tackle some of the greatest challenges confronting our world, with a particular focus on joint investments and new initiatives in water, energy, transportation, space, health, and food security.”
US President Joe Biden, Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid, UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi all attended the virtual meet.
Also read: PM Narendra Modi in I2U2 Summit 2022
The communiqué stated that the I2U2 nations will also use their respective private sectors to advance low carbon development pathways, enhance public health and access to vaccinations, co-create novel approaches to waste management, and encourage the advancement of green technology.
The countries stressed their support for Israel’s integration in the region, drawing a connection between the Abraham Accords normalisation agreements and the formation of forums such as the I2U2.
They also welcomed other new regional groupings such as the Negev Forum, which consists of Israel, the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco, Egypt and the US.
The communiqué stated that the leaders spoke about creative approaches to ensuring longer-term, more diversified food production and food distribution networks that can better manage global food shocks.
The following initiatives were highlighted by the I2U2 leaders:
In the first, the UAE will invest $2 billion to build a network of food parks throughout India that will use eco-friendly technology to cut down on food waste, preserve fresh water, and use renewable energy sources.
In the partnership, India will contribute land and include its farmers in the project, while the US and Israel will push their respective corporate sectors to contribute their knowledge for the effort, which will combat food insecurity in South Asia and the Middle East.
According to the joint statement, the second effort would see the development of a 300 megawatt (MW) hybrid renewable energy plant in Gujarat, that will combine solar and wind power with a battery energy storage technology.
The project's $330-million feasibility study was funded by the US Trade and Development Agency, and with the support of the US and Israeli governments, and Emirati businesses are looking into the investment potential.
The project would help India get closer to its objective of acquiring 500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030 and transform the nation into a centre for renewable energy on the international stage.
The leaders reaffirmed their commitment to use well-established markets to develop more innovative, inclusive, and evidence-based solutions to improve food security and the sustainability of food systems.
The leaders reaffirmed that “these are only the initial stages of a long-term strategic alliance to support programmes and investments that enhance the movement of people and products across hemispheres, boost sustainability, and improve resilience through cooperative research and technology collaborations”.
