INDIA, US, UAE & ISRAEL FORMED A NEW QUAD
Union External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Israel Foreign Minister Yair during a quadrilateral meeting with UAE Foriegn Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan and US secretary of State Anthony Blinken on October 19, 2021 agreed to establish a joint economic cooperation forum. The four ministers had held talks on possibilities for joint infrastructure projects in the fields of technology, transportation, trade, maritime security and economics. It was decided after the meeting that each minister will appoint senior-level professionals to a joint working group that will form options for cooperation in the areas identified by the ministers. The ministers aim to hold an in-person meeting in the coming months at Expo 2020 in Dubai.
WHAT WAS THE AGENDA?
The Foreign Ministers and Secretary Blinken discussed expanding economic & political cooperation in the Middle East and Asia through trade, combating climate change, energy cooperation, and increasing maritime security. The Ministers also discussed how to support global public health in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic and expand people to people ties in technology and science. The four ministers also held a discussion on possibilities for joint infrastructure projects in the fields of technology, transportation, maritime security, trade and economics and additional joint projects. During the talks, Secretary Blinken reiterated the Biden Administration’s support for the Abraham Accords and normalization agreements and discussed future opportunities for collaboration in the region and globally. The Abraham Accords was signed by Israel, UAE and the US in August 2020 to normalise ties between Israel and the UAE. India had welcomed the agreement, saying it has always been a supporter of peace and stability in our extended neighbourhood.
TRILATERAL COOPERATION
- India, Israel and the UAE have also stepped-up trilateral cooperation, especially in trade and investment, after the US negotiated for Abraham Accords in August 2020 between two West Asian countries. Under this partnership, an Israel-based company will produce a robotic solar cleaning technology in India which will be used for a project in the UAE.
- Abraham Accords: Abraham Accords are a joint statement between Israel, the US and the UAE. It was signed on August 13, 2020. The term was also used to refer to normalisation agreements between Israel & UAE and Israel & Bahrain collectively. It is the first public normalization of relations between any Arab country and Israel since 1994. The accords have been named after Abraham, emphasizing the shared belief between Judaism and Islam. Both of them are Abrahamic religions which strictly support monotheistic worship of the God of Abraham.
- Background: Union External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is currently on a five-day visit to Israel at the invitation of Israel's Alternate Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid. During the visit, he held productive talks with Foreign Affairs Minister Yair Lapid that covered a wide range of regional and global issues.
OTHER SIGNIFICANT ALLIANCES BETWEEN THE NATIONS
AUKUS PARTNERSHIP
The United States, Britain and Australia said they would establish a security partnership for the Indo-Pacific that will involve helping Canberra acquire nuclear-powered submarines, as Chinese influence over the region grows. Biden, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison appeared together virtually to detail the new alliance, which will be called AUKUS (pronounced AWK-us). The three announced they would quickly turn their attention to developing nuclear-powered submarines for Australia.
The new security alliance is likely to be seen as a provocative move by China, which has repeatedly lashed out at Biden as he's sought to refocus US foreign policy on the Pacific in the early going of his presidency. Washington and its allies are looking for ways to push back against China's growing power and influence, particularly its military buildup, pressure on Taiwan and deployments in the contested South China Sea. The announcement comes just over a week before Biden is to host a first in-person meeting of leaders of the "Quad" group of countries - Australia, India, Japan and the United States - that Washington sees as a key means to stand up to China.
WHAT IS AUKUS?
AUKUS is a new enhanced security partnership between three major economies- Australia, United Kingdom and the United States. Australian PM Scott Morrison said that AUKUS is a partnership where our technology, our scientists, our industry, and defence force all working together to deliver a safer and more secure region. The enhanced trilateral security partnership will see Australia build a nuclear-powered fleet of submarines in a joint endeavor with the US and UK with the main focus being on interoperability, commonality and mutual benefit. The joint statement on the formation of trilateral defence partnership between Australia, US and UK read that the three nations are deeply committed to upholding their leadership on global non-proliferation.
AUKUS TO COUNTER CHINA?
The new trilateral security pact, AUKUS is perhaps another effort by the US and its allies to counter China's growing power and influence in the South China Sea. There was though no mention of China while announcing the partnership.
Background: France already has a substantial Indo-Pacific presence as a key partner & ally in strengthening the security & prosperity of the region. US President Joe Biden said that the US looks forward to working closely with France & other key countries as they go forward.
FIVE EYES ALLIANCE
The Five Eyes alliance is an intelligence-sharing arrangement between five English-speaking democracies: the US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The alliance was created during the Cold War (1946-1991) that was fought between the United States and the Soviet Union, as well as their respective allies. The alliance was needed to share sensitive information regarding their adversaries on all possible fronts available. It is often described as the world's most successful intelligence alliance.
QUADRILATERAL SECURITY DIALOGUE (QUAD)
The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue is a strategic dialogue between Japan, India, the US, and Australia. The significant dialogue between the four nations was initiated in 2007 by the then Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe, Australian Prime Minister John Howard, US Vice President Dick Cheney, and the Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh. The dialogue was ceased after the withdrawal of Australia during Kevin Rudd’s tenure as the Prime Minister. However, it was revived again during the 2017 ASEAN Summits, when the four leaders Narendra Modi, Shinzo Abe, Malcolm Turnbull, and Donald Trump agreed to revive the alliance. Quad, the diplomatic and military engagement, was widely viewed as a response to China’s growing economic and military power in the Indo-Pacific region.
ALLIANCE OF US, PAK, AFGHANISTAN & UZBEKISTAN
The United States, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Uzbekistan have agreed to establish a new quadrilateral diplomatic platform to enhance regional connectivity. All four nations- the US, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Uzbekistan intend to cooperate to expand trade, build transit links and strengthen business-to-business ties, recognising the historic opportunity to open flourishing interregional trade routes. The representatives from the four nations will be meeting in the coming months to determine the modalities of the cooperation with mutual consensus. The new diplomatic platform will work to expand trade, build transit links and strengthen business-to-business ties.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE ALLIANCE
Afghanistan is bordered by Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan to the north, Pakistan towards the east and south, Iran to the west and China to the northeast. The land-locked nation's location has for a long time been seen as a competitive advantage for the country. Afghanistan has since long been the crossroads of commerce between Asian countries by connecting them to Europe and enhancing religious, cultural and commercial contacts. Afghanistan is located at the heart of the historic silk road.
Impact on China's BRI Initiative: The new quad group's formation is significant as it comes amid China's efforts to extend its Belt Road Initiative (BRI) to Afghanistan. The Belt Road Initiative was launched by Chinese President Xi Jinping when he came to power in 2013. The Belt Road Initiative aims to link Southeast Asia, Central Asia, the Gulf region, Africa and Europe with a network of land and sea routes. Afghanistan due to its strategic location can provide China with a strategic base to spread its influence across the world. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan had visited Uzbekistan in the past week for an official two-day visit during which he highlighted the benefits of regional connectivity and invited the nation to become the party to China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
TEST YOURSELF
Q.1 Recently during the EAM S. Jaishankar visit to Israel, Which of the following nations have formed a Quadrilateral Economic Forum?
- India, Japan, Australia, Israel
- India, Israel, UAE & USA: ANSWER
- India, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain & USA
- None of the following
Q.2 With the reference to the AUKUS groupings between the three countries recently announced by the United States of America, Which of the following statements is/are incorrect?
- AUKUS is a new enhanced security partnership between three major economies- Australia, United States of America & South Korea.
- The new trilateral security pact, AUKUS is perhaps another effort by the US and its allies to counter China's growing power and influence in the South China Sea.
- Only I follows: ANSWER
- Only II follows
- Both I & II follows
- None of the above
Q.3 2+2 Ministerial is the highest-level institutional mechanism between the two countries & is a format of dialogue where the defence/foreign ministers or secretaries meet with their counterparts from another country. From the given options with which of the following countries India doesn't hold the 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue?
- United Kingdom: ANSWER
- United States of America
- Australia
- None of the following
Q.4 Recently, which of the following nations have announced that the first in-person meeting of the Quad countries is going to be held where the heads of all the four countries (India, Japan, Australia, and the US) are going to attend the meeting?
- United States of America: ANSWER
- India
- Australia
- None of the above
Q.5 Three countries have signed a Peace Deal named as "Abraham Accord". Which of the following are the three countries?
- Israel, UAE & USA
- Israel, UAE & India
- UAE, Palestine & Bahrain
- Israel, Bahrain & UAE: ANSWER
