PM Narendra Modi pushes ahead with Mideast-Europe Corridor despite war between Israel and Hamas
Hamas. PM Modi met with UAE leader Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Tuesday in Abu Dhabi, where the war and conflict in the Red Sea featured heavily in discussions, according to India’s Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra. Both leaders agreed, though, to take the first step to operationalize part of the ambitious India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor, or IMEC, he said.
While the conflict in Gaza and the situation in the Red Sea remains a concern and both leaders continue to monitor and exchange notes on the issues, “it is equally important to ensure the economic cooperation is taken forward, continues to stay the course and maintain momentum," Kwatra told reporters in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday. The IMEC corridor — touted by the US and its allies last year — is an ambitious ship-to-rail network that’s meant to link India, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Israel. The project aims to boost trade and speed up the transport of goods, although it’s also seen as a way to counter China’s influence and massive infrastructure investment in the region.
During Modi’s trip, agreements were also reached on a bilateral investment treaty and pledges to work together on electricity connection and digital infrastructure, India’s Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement. The prime minister addressed thousands of Indians living in the Gulf nation on Tuesday, hailing ties between the two countries and calling the UAE leader his brother. Modi is due on Wednesday to inaugurate the first Hindu temple in the UAE.
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