Why In News?
In a recent post on X (formerly Twitter) Israeli Minister of Energy and Infrastructure Eli Cohen hinted at a potential Energy forum among the signatories of the Abraham Accord. Cohen noted that he deliberated over such joint energy projects with his US counterpart, Energy Secretary Chris Wright along with Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum amid his visit to Washington.
He remains optimistic to advance joint energy projects which would mark the inception of a ‘new era in the Middle East (West Asia)’. Both Israel and the US remain keen to amplify their collaboration to leverage the energy dynamics which would harmonise the bellicosity in the region. They seek to, as Cohen notes, ‘promote projects that will enhance stability and prosperity in the Middle East’ as this synergy would yield reciprocal benefits for the signatories.
Concurrently, Cohen noted that he ‘presented a plan to develop regional infrastructure that will position Israel as an energy bridge between East and West’. Reports indicate that he proposed an oil pipeline of 700 km between Israel and Saudi Arabia which would surpass the extant turmoil of the region and will pave a safe passage to Europe. This proposal seamlessly aligns with the proposed India-Middle East Corridor (IMEC) project which was unveiled during the sidelines of the G20 Summit which was held in New Delhi in September 2023. Cohen and Wright further pondered over developing a regional forum among the energy ministers of Israel, Cyprus, and Greece which would be led by the United States.
Background: What is ABRAHAM ACCORD?
The Abraham Accord Peace Agreement is a series of normalization agreements along with a joint declaration which was assented on 15th September 2020 at the white House under the auspices of President Donald Trump. These peace agreements intended to normalize diplomatic relations among the Jewish state of Israel and the Islamic states of the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. Soon thereafter the state of Morocco and Sudan followed this course to normalise ties with Israel and on 22nd December 2020, Morocco and Israel along with the United States signed a Joint Declaaration to formalize the establishment of full diplomatic relations. However, Sudan’s internal unrest has hampered the propagation albeit it officially assented the Abraham Accords Declaration in January 2021.
The biblical reference of patriarch Abraham was leveraged to promote amicable relations among the belligerents. Netanyahu noted the accord as the new dawn of peace in the region. The declaration underscored the vision of peace, security and prosperity in the region which would catalyse tolerance and respect and reduce radicalization and conflicts. The premise of the accord is that diplomacy and communication would promote greater stability, prosperity, and hope in the region, as Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan noted.
FUTURE PROSPECTS
Cohen has reiterated similar ideas at an International Policy Summit organized by the Jewish News Syndicate where he reaffirmed that bolstering the Abraham Accord would be in tandem with intensifying energy cooperation among the signatories. He also noted that the United Arab Emirate has intended to invest in the gas discoveries of Israel and Azerbaijan’s Minister of Economy along with the head of SOCAR (i.e. the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic) have also showcased their interest to invest in Israeli energy. Hence the nexus of further collaboration is invariably balanced on Energy cooperation.
CONCLUSION
This potential proposal reflects the intention to foster robust cooperation among the signatories of Abraham Accord nations. Their sincere efforts to capitalize on cooperation would reap substantial progress and would also be mutually beneficial as such a forum would only bolster the bonds among them. Along with solidification of the existing cooperation such strides would only incentivize the prospects of the Abraham accords. Hence, it remains evident that cooperation mitigates the likelihood of conflict.
