Newly formed platform to focus on business rather than strategic relationship, says Ronnie Yedidia-Klein
The newly announced quadrilateral meeting between India-Israel-UAE-US is currently a forum for economic cooperation, I saidDeputy Head of Mission for Srael Ronnie Yedidia-Klein, adding that there will be more cooperation and high-level visits as Israel and India complete 30 years of full diplomatic relations in 2022.
External Affairs Minister S. The major announcement after the bilateral meeting between Jaishankar and Israel’s FM Yair Lapid was the decision to resume talks on a free trade agreement. There have been several attempts to do this since 2007; Where are the barriers to agreement?
The fight between the two sides is over bureaucratic issues. Former ambassador Ron Malka has gone from ambassador here to director general in the economy ministry, and perhaps he will be able to move things forward because he has a personal interest in India. I think their counterparts here on the Indian side would also be interested in taking things forward.
Will this essentially be an agreement on goods? Or will services be included in FTA negotiations?
We will have to see how it is resolved. Israel is more interested in seeing it purely on goods. We will have to see how the conversation goes. I feel [the deadline in 2022] You know, it will take a little more pressure on both sides to make it work.
Where did the idea of the India-Israel-UAE-US quadrilateral come from and where is it going?
We understand that Minister Lapid was in the United States and interacted with his counterparts there. And at that time UAE ministers were also present there. So it came up in a conversation and they agreed to have such a structure. Since India is such a close and important strategic partner, Dr. Jaishankar had planned to visit a week after Mr. Lapid’s arrival in the US.
I think it holds a lot of promise. India has a very constructive relationship with the UAE, it has a wonderful relationship with Israel. I think it also has very good relations with the United States. So, why not bring everything together for the betterment of the citizens of the four countries? And speaking of economics in particular, I mean, we’re talking about huge opportunities in business and all different fronts.
Does such a quadrilateral also have a strategic purpose when it comes to West Asia?
I think right now we’re talking more about economic opportunities here and less about strategic opportunities.
A US State Department spokesperson spoke of the quadrilateral as an area of economic and political coordination. Now the UAE, even before its own admission, plays a role in mediating talks between India and Pakistan. Do you see India’s role in the Middle East? [Israel-Palestine] peace process?
I won’t rule it out, but I don’t know if there is a special role right now.
Israel will participate in the Dubai Expo, where India also has a pavilion. Will the India-Israel-UAE trilateral cooperation path be discussed and in what areas?
Well I guess we can see [trilateral cooperation] in many different areas. We are talking about water, we are talking about agriculture opportunities, we are talking about health opportunities. The fact that the expo has neighboring pavilions from India and Israel in Dubai, and we already have joint events with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), will help organize these events. So there are opportunities, and we [will] Leave it to the private sector to develop these.
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