Connecting India with Europe: World’s most ambitious trade route stalls in Mideast turmoil
The Israel-Hamas war has halted progress on what’s known as the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC)— a project touted last year by Washington and key allies that envisages building new rail links across the Arabian peninsula. As Houthi attacks disrupt Red Sea shipping and turmoil spreads across the region, IMEC is effectively on ice.
That’s a setback for US strategy, because the plan served multiple purposes – to counter China’s Belt and Road infrastructure program, build influence in the so-called “Global South,” and speed up the hoped-for rapprochement between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
“This is a project that made Iran, China, Russia, even Turkey nervous,” said Romana Vlahutin, the former European Union special envoy for connectivity who’s now a distinguished fellow at the German Marshall Fund. “Maybe that is the best proof of its strategic importance.”
Asked whether the regional conflicts had stopped the project, US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said in a briefing Tuesday that efforts to lay the groundwork are “ongoing.”
“While it’s principally around a rail system, there would be all kinds of logistics and sustainment hubs along the way, and offer all kinds of opportunities for infrastructure improvement and employment,” Kirby said.
“That’s a years-long process.”
A person familiar with the plans earlier said the outbreak of violence in the Middle East has diverted attention away from discussions on IMEC.
‘Game-Changing’
In their contest with China for global influence, the US and Europe have struggled to win support in the developing world. Many emerging nations stayed neutral in the face of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and backed an immediate end to Israel’s war in Gaza –
