Maiden West Asian Quad Summit to focus on infra, tech & food security

The Maiden West Asian Quad or India Israel US-UAE Summit expected to be held on Thursday in hybrid format during US President Joe Biden's Israel visit is expected to focus on infrastructure and technology related projects besides food security amid the current geo-political developments.

The four leaders are expected to focus on food security besides innovation among other economic projects including infrastructure at the Summit, ET has learnt. India’s move to join the US, the UAE and Israel in a new group reflects its keenness to take economic advantage of the Abraham Accords.

In the meeting held in hybrid format last year the four foreign ministers explored possibilities for joint infrastructure projects in the fields of transportation, technology, maritime security, economics and trade, as well as for additional joint projects. The ministers decided to establish an international forum for economic cooperation to take forward their maiden dialogue.


It was decided at the Ministerial meet that each minister will appoint senior-level professionals to a joint working group that will formulate options for cooperation in the areas of transportation, technology, maritime security, and economics and trade. Jaishankar and then Israeli FM (now PM) Lapid attended the quadrilateral-level meeting from Israel, while US secretary of state Antony Blinken and UAE foreign minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan participated virtually.

India has strong ties with both Israel and the UAE and since the Abraham accord was signed, they have worked in a trilateral arrangement. Last year, the three countries signed a pact that involves producing robotic solar cleaning technology in India for a project in the UAE by an Israel-based company, Ecoppia. The partnership was initiated by the International Federation of Indo-Israel Chambers of Commerce.