‘Something special is happening,’ Lapid says as Israel, I2U2 countries sign food, energy projects

Prime Minister Yair Lapid stresses the shared challenges the four countries in the I2U2 online summit face during the first virtual meeting of the leaders of Israel, India, the US and the UAE.

“We need to think in new terms when it comes to energy, food security, water tech, defense and trade,” he says. “In the 21st century, challenges are local but solutions are global.”

He focuses on food insecurity in the wake of the Russia-Ukraine war, calling the emerging food corridor between India and the UAE “a clear example of a solution to a problem we are all facing.”

He also says the global energy market is facing a serious crisis that has “political implications.”

“The world is watching this meeting,” says Lapid. “That shows that something special is happening.”

Lapid says the forum is designed to “put together brain power, resources, and knowledge at the same table.”

Speaking after Lapid, US President Joe Biden says the meeting is “about demonstrating the importance of showing the practical impacts” of Israel’s growing integration.

“Our challenge together is to deliver real results that people can feel in their everyday lives,” Biden continues.

“We can do a great deal if we stick together,” the president concludes, stressing that he intends to stay engaged.

The leaders announce a pair of massive collaborative projects in the fields of food security and clean energy.

The four countries would aim to “harness the vibrancy of our societies and entrepreneurial spirit to tackle some of the greatest challenges confronting our world, with a particular focus on joint investments and new initiatives in water, energy, transportation, space, health and food security.”

The I2U2 countries also will utilize their respective private sectors to advance low carbon development pathways, improve public health and access to vaccines, jointly create new solutions for waste treatment, and promote the development of green technologies.