New Delhi: The decision to launch a new quadrilateral economic forum was made by India, Israel, the United Arab Emirates and the United States as External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar joined a meeting via videoconference from Jerusalem. The EAM is on a five-day visit to Jerusalem.
The quadrilateral was preceded by Jaishankar’s bilateral meeting with Israeli Alternate Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid. This part of ongoing cooperation between the US-Israel-the UAE after the Abraham Accords last year.
According to Jaishankar, it was a fruitful first meeting “on economic growth and global issues” with Lapid, UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
Lapid said that the grouping had decided to set up an international forum for economic cooperation, and specifically discussed “possibilities for joint infrastructure projects”, reported The Hindu.
According to the US State Department, the four ministers discussed “expanding economic and political cooperation in the Middle East and Asia, including through trade, combating climate change, energy cooperation, and increasing maritime security,” and ways to battle the COVID-19 pandemic during the meeting.
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