India, Israel, the US and the UAE, the four countries which together constitute the I2U2 grouping, launched a a uniquely structured I2U2 business coalition, also termed private enterprise partnership, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) on Thursday

Separately, Washington DC, Tel Aviv, Delhi and Abu Dhabi also launched an official I2U2 site and called for project proposals in seven domains — water, climate/energy, transportation, space, health, food security, technology — preferably centered around West Asia, Africa, South Asia and the US.

Announced in the backdrop of the recent unveiling of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), the I2U2’s push to involve the private sector, with the US taking the lead, is seen as yet another move to deepen economic integration between South Asia and West Asia.

The four official leads of the grouping include Dammu Ravi, secretary (economic relations) in the ministry of external affairs, Ronen Levi, the director general of Israel’s ministry of foreign affairs, Ahmed Ali El Sayegh, minister of state for foreign affairs of UAE, and Jose Fernandez, the US undersecretary of state for economic growth, energy and the environment.