Page 10 - The Indian EYE 090922

OPINION SEPTEMBER 09, 2022 | The Indian Eye 10

I2U2: A NEW TEMPLATE FOR

CROSS-REGIONAL COOPERATION

Notwithstanding, challenges remain for I2U2 both at the regional and international levels.

The most important questions pertain to China, Iran and Russia

MD. MUDDASSIR QUAMAR interdependence with regional coun- mentum generated by the Abraham ington and New Delhi on Beijing’s
tries. Accords and underlines the growing regional and global intentions. How-
n 14 July 2022, the leaders India, on the other hand, is a understanding among India, Israel, ever, from the perspective of the
of India, Israel, the United leading Asian and an emerging glob- the US and the UAE to focus on hu- UAE and Israel, the I2U2 may not be
OStates (US) and the United al power that has strong and histori- man security. a containment policy against China
Arab Emirates (UAE) held the first cal relations with the Middle Eastern Notwithstanding, challenges re- because of their strong economic in-
summit meeting of a new ‘mini-later- countries. The size of its economy main for I2U2 both at the regional terdependence with it. Nonetheless,
al’ grouping called ‘I2U2’. The launch and demography accrues it advan- and international levels. The most there are signs that the US might put
of the I2U2 is significant for several tages, especially as a market and in- important questions pertain to Chi- pressure on these two allies to decou-
reasons. Foremost, it indicates a syn- vestment destination. Further, India na, Iran and Russia. Developments ple from China, especially on matters
ergy among the four countries prior- has prioritized harnessing its demo- in the Indo-Pacific and the revival of strategic importance.
itizing a cooperative mechanism to graphic dividend towards expediting of the Quadrilateral Security Dia- There are also questions with
address issues of human security of economic growth and human devel- logue between the US, Japan, Aus- regard to the I2U2 as a forum to
the Middle East region. opment. tralia and India (often referred to as consolidate a geopolitical alignment
The new grouping also has im- A key question that emerges Quad) to contain China’s aggressive against Iran and its destabilizing re-
plications for regional politics and from this new quadrilateral groups rise has made analysts draw analogy gional activities.25 Iran’s nuclear and
the interactions between regional is, can the regional geopolitical situ- between Quad and I2U2 with some ballistic missile programmes have
and international powers. It advanc- ation allow development of a coop- terming the latter as ‘Middle East created serious threat perceptions
es the spirit of the Abraham Accords erative mechanism within a geo-eco- Quad’. China’s growing economic among its regional adversaries, es-
signed in September 2020 to what nomic framework. This is important and strategic forays in the Gulf and pecially Saudi Arabia and Israel.
has been referred as an “Indo-Abra- because, as noted above, the Middle Middle East region and the growing Tehran’s growing regional military
hamic” alliance. East faces serious challenges of re- unease in Washington further fuels and strategic presence in Iraq, Syria,
The four I2U2 countries bring gional tensions, rivalries and con- speculations that the I2U2 is anoth- Lebanon, Yemen and the Palestinian
together unique strengths that can flicts. While there are little positive er geopolitical initiative to contain territories, the support for armed mi-
generate the required momentum developments to generate hope, the China. litias and proxies and attacks against
for prioritizing human security. The signing of the Abraham Accords, The decline in US–China rela- civilian and oil infrastructure in Saudi
US is not only a leading global mil- and the progress in bilateral relations tions since the trade war started un- Arabia and the UAE has caused seri-
itary power but continues to be a fi- between the UAE and Israel in the der the Trump administration and ous concerns about regional stability.
nancial and technological leader in two years since, does create opportu- the deterioration in India–China Iran and Israel are also engaged in an
the world. It is also the preeminent nities for widening the scope of the relations over the Chinese transgres- indirect fight in Syria and Iraq.
international actor in the Middle business and trade within the frame- sions at the Indo-China border in The rising tensions between
East both in terms of its diplomatic work of geo-economic cooperation. Doklam (2017) and Galwan (2020) US and Iran since the unilateral US
and strategic influence and economic The I2U2 thus capitalizes on the mo- have hardened the stance in Wash- Continued at next page... >>

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