United States (US) national security advisor Jake Sullivan has stated that I2U2 — the alliance that unites India, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and the US — can become a feature of the broader Middle East area, just how Quad has been a “central pillar” in the Indo-Pacific.
The mechanism, according to Sullivan, signalled a change in US policy toward the region, which had been dominated by conflict and terrorism for more than 20 years, toward a vision of a more globally integrated geography.
Sullivan referred to India as “one of the largest, most significant, most strategically consequential” countries in the Indo-Pacific and as a country with long-standing ties to the Middle East, playing a role in furthering Israel’s integration into the region, underscoring New Delhi’s importance to both mechanisms.
The US NSA, who is considered to be among the architects of the administration’s India policy and is one of Biden’s closest aides, then outlined the larger worldview underlying the I2U2 mechanism, a recent innovation made possible by the Abrahamic Accords, which saw Israel and a number of its West Asian neighbours reach a diplomatic agreement. I2U2, according to Sullivan, signalled a change in the US’s emphasis in the area.
The first leader-level I2U2 conference will take place on Thursday with participation from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Joe Biden, Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid, and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Biden is visiting the area for the first time since becoming office.
The NSA claimed that rather than contracting or restricting it, the alliance was about growing partnerships and the geography.
Therefore, he eagerly anticipates Prime Minister Modi’s attendance at this ceremony.
