Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has stressed the significance of implementing the India-Middle East-Europe Corridor (IMEEC) for “regional connectivity” during a meeting with visiting UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, according to an official statement.
IMEEC — a multinational railway and maritime project between India, the US, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Israel, France, Germany, Italy, and the EU, aims to connect India to the Middle East and Europe to enhance trade, provide energy resources, and develop digital connectivity.
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The UAE’s Nahyan met with Narendra in the capital New Delhi on Thursday and the two leaders emphasized strengthening comprehensive strategic partnership, including in the areas of technology, energy, and people-to-people ties, the Indian Foreign Ministry said.
Modi laid “special emphasis on the implementation of the India-Middle East-Europe Corridor as a historic initiative to foster regional connectivity and prosperity,” the ministry said in a late Thursday night statement.
The IMEEC was announced last year.
Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, along with his UAE counterpart, co-chaired the fourth India-UAE strategic dialogue in New Delhi.
“A very productive exchange on promising domains and key interests,” he said on Friday.
What is the IMEEC
The India-Middle East-Europe Corridor (IMEEC) is a significant multinational infrastructure project aimed at enhancing regional connectivity between India, the Middle East, and Europe. It combines railway and maritime links to create a seamless trade and transport network. The project involves several key participants, including India, the United States, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Israel, France, Germany, Italy, and the European Union.
IMEEC’s primary goals are to boost trade by providing a faster and more reliable route compared to existing pathways like the Suez Canal, facilitate the transportation of energy resources between the Middle East and other regions, and develop digital connectivity to strengthen economic cooperation. Strategically, the corridor is seen as a counterbalance to China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), fostering economic growth and regional development while reinforcing geopolitical ties among the participating nations.