India-Middle East-Europe Corridor: The way to a new world order
- The G20 Summit, 2023 under India’s presidency approached complex issues like climate change, underdevelopment, wealth concentration, poverty, falling democratic norms, and principles of peace.
- The G20 Summit, 2023 led to the inclusion of African Union in G-20, clean energy through a biofuel alliance, increasing aid for Asia-Africa, an economic corridor to connect India, West Asia, and Europe using rail and shipping link, and Delhi Declaration- joint statement of G20.
- The G20 forum represents 85% of global GDP and 75% of international trade, holding strategic importance for India post pandemic and emerge as a global leader.
- Israel''s geographic location at the heart of Middle-East plays an important role in political, religious and economic prospects linking Asia and Europe.
Significance of IMEC
- IMEC is a multimodal transportation corridor to trade goods to Europe from India via the United Arab Emirates-Saudi Arabia-Jordan-Israel.
- It offers a sound economic solution for the countries in West Asia, intending to diversify their economy.
- It is backed by U.S.A. along with the European Union (EU) to counter China’s increasing footprint in West Asia through Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and curtail ambitions of Russia and Iran.
- The US had conjoined India with the Pacific region and renamed Asia-Pacific as Indo-Pacific, and extended its westward reach by merging with the West Asian region and beyond.
- This marks a sphere of influence with India as the central point and presents an alternative to the idea of Eurasia which was popular over the last decade.
- India’s G20 leaders’ summit had an unprecedented Middle Eastern Presence’.
- It would increase efficiency (transit), reduce costs, enhance economic unity, generate jobs, and lower greenhouse gas emissions.
- It would be transformative for geopolitical scenario of future trade and relations.
Role of Israel
- Israel was eager to be a part of connectivity politics of IMEC project and provide its skills and support, but did not mention India’s idea for the initiative.
- Issues related to domestic policies and lack of attention to long- term foreign policy goals, puts Israel in a vulnerable position.
- The normalisation of ties with Saudi Arabia is a precondition for the materialization of this economic corridor.
- Although India invited most of the Middle Eastern countries including non-members, as guests in G20 key summit, but refrained an invitation to Israel as India’s strategic partner.
- Nine non-member countries: Bangladesh, Egypt, Mauritius, Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Singapore, Spain, and the United Arab Emirates.
Push for diplomatic normalisation
- Saudi Arabia attempted to end the diplomatic boycott of Israel by accepting it as a Muslim country, and help improve the relations with Pakistan, Indonesia and Malaysia.
- It demanded that Israel must commit to a two-state solution for well-being of the Palestinian people, even if the current occupation does not end.
- Saudi Arabia, Arab League, and the European Union joined forces with the Egypt and Jordan to launch a ‘Peace Day Effort’ to incentivize Israelis and Palestinian leaders for compromise during UN General Assembly.
India aims to establish direct connection with the Arabian Gulf and Europe, to augment its policy of using connectivity as a strategy to capture opportunities for long-standing trade and geopolitical relations. Israel-Palestine peace is a challenging aim owing to rise of extremism on both sides. The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor would await such a change.
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