Israel envoy to India said the meet will likely be held in February or March in Dubai…reports Asian Lite Newsdesk
Ambassador of Israel to India, Naor Gilon on Thursday said that India-US-Israel-UAE Quad meet could happen in early 2022 in Dubai.
Speaking with ANI, the Israeli envoy said, “The meeting could happen in early 2022 in Dubai. The Sherpas from the four countries identified for the meet will identify the fields of cooperation in infrastructure and they will identify from each country the relevant companies for this field. When they meet in March or February in Dubai, they will have a practical-oriented approach where the diplomats will step aside and let the private companies work directly”.
When asked about the probable visit of Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett to India, Gilon said that the date has not yet been finalised.
“The two Prime Ministers met in Glasgow in COP26 and they agreed to meet soon but there is no date yet. So, we are still working on it. I hope that it takes place in the first half of 2022,” Gilon said.
He also said that since the change in leadership in Israel, the two countries have had wonderful momentum and has great chemistry in their relationship.
“I think that the relationship has wonderful momentum. I was fortunate and lucky to be an ambassador in such a great period of relations. Our interest is pushing the momentum. There is great chemistry that was visible between the two Prime Ministers – Narendra Modi and Naftali Bennett. Things are going in the right direction. Our task is to keep the ball rolling and keep the momentum going on,” said the Israeli envoy.
In October, the foreign policy leaders of India, the US, Israel and the UAE held a virtual ministerial meeting for what could have the makings of a grouping in the Middle East similar to the Quad, but with a more limited security agenda.
“Discussed working together more closely on economic growth and global issues. Agreed on expeditious follow-up,” India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar tweeted after the with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Foreign Ministers Yair Lapid of Israel and Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed of the UAE.
In a kaleidoscopic strategic environment where China stretches its sphere of action from the Indo-Pacific on the East to the West and beyond, India is situated in the middle of the Indian Ocean with its sea borders opening to the two areas can bridge them in association with the US.
After the US pulled out its troops from Afghanistan, China, which borders that country, is exerting its influence there with an eye on projecting its power beyond.
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But unlike in the Indo-Pacific, where the Quad sees Beijing as the overarching threat, India is likely to be a restraining force on a possible Middle Eastern “Quad” making it less likely to get too deep into local rivalries, but focusing instead on cooperation in critical areas energy, health, economics and climate change.
(ANI/IANS)