India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri has reaffirmed that progress on the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) has not halted, despite ongoing regional conflicts and security challenges. 

Addressing a special briefing ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Saudi Arabia, Misri clarified that while the broader political and security situation in the Middle East may give the impression that IMEC is stalled, India continues to actively engage with select partners and special envoys to lay the necessary groundwork for the project.

The IMEC, launched during the G20 Summit in September 2023, is a strategic, multi-modal connectivity initiative involving India, the US, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, France, Germany, Italy, and the European Union.

The corridor is designed to comprise two main segments: the Eastern Corridor linking India to the Gulf, and the Northern Corridor connecting the Gulf to Europe. The initiative will integrate ports, railways, roads, sea lines, energy pipelines, and digital infrastructure, aiming to enhance trade between India, the Middle East, and Europe.

Despite the temporary slowdown caused by the Israel-Hamas conflict in late 2023 and wider geopolitical instability in the region, India has continued diplomatic engagement and operational cooperation, notably signing an Intergovernmental Framework Agreement with the UAE in early 2024 to develop a joint logistics platform for IMEC.

Misri emphasised that groundwork, such as consultations on the corridor’s contours and operational requirements, is ongoing among individual countries or groups, even if full-scale multilateral activity awaits improved regional stability.

IMEC is expected to deliver significant benefits, including reducing logistics costs by up to 30%, cutting transportation time by 40%, and fostering reliable, cost-effective cross-border transit networks that supplement existing maritime routes.

The corridor also aims to secure regional supply chains, boost economic cooperation, generate jobs, and lower greenhouse gas emissions, positioning itself as a transformative link between Asia, Europe, and West Asia. Indian officials have described IMEC as a modern-day Silk Route that will not only facilitate trade but also foster cultural and civilizational linkages across continents.

The upcoming visit of Prime Minister Modi to Saudi Arabia will include discussions on IMEC’s progress and Saudi Arabia’s role in mediating between Russia and Ukraine, underlining the broader diplomatic and strategic context in which IMEC is being advanced. India remains committed to dialogue and multilateral engagement, seeking to leverage this period to strengthen its domestic infrastructure, upgrade logistics, and standardize trade processes in preparation for IMEC’s eventual full-scale implementation.

ANI