• With the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the India-Middle East-Europe Corridor (IMEEC) could now become a reality, US President Joe Biden has said.

• The IMEEC is seen as an alternative to China’s ‘One Belt, One Road Initiative’. 

• The IMEEC project hit a roadblock with the Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023.

Highlights of India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor

• The IMEEC was launched on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in September 2023 in Delhi. 

• The IMEEC envisages a vast road, railroad and shipping networks among India, Europe, the Middle-East through UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel and the European Union. 

The initiative will consist of two separate corridors:

i) Eastern Corridor connecting India to West Asia/Middle East.

ii) Northern Corridor connecting West Asia or Middle East to Europe.

• The IMEEC is expected to stimulate economic development through enhanced connectivity and economic integration between Asia, the Arabian Gulf, and Europe.

• It will include a railway that, upon completion, will provide a reliable and cost-effective cross-border ship-to-rail transit network to supplement existing maritime and road transport routes.

• It will enable transhipment of goods and services to, from, and between India, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel, and Europe.

• In support of this initiative, the participating countries commit to work collectively and expeditiously to arrange and implement all elements of these new transit routes, and to establish coordinating entities to address the full range of technical, design, financing, legal and relevant regulatory standards.

• Along the railway route, the participants intend to enable the laying of cable for electricity and digital connectivity, as well as pipe for clean hydrogen export.

• This corridor will secure regional supply chains, increase trade accessibility, improve trade facilitation, and support an increased emphasis on environmental, social, and government impacts.

• It is expected that the corridor will increase efficiencies, reduce costs, enhance economic unity, generate jobs, and lower greenhouse gas emissions — resulting in a transformative integration of Asia, Europe and the Middle East.

• The IMEC initiative helps position India as a key player in reshaping global supply chains and trade routes.

• By offering an alternative to China's Belt and Road Initiative, this project underscores New Delhi’s proactive approach to regional economic integration and infrastructure development.

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