World Leaders Launch a Landmark India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor.

The G20 summit was held in India this year in the shadow of the developments of the war between Russia and Ukraine. An important and far-reaching event of this summit, which was held without the presence of the Russians, took place on the second day of the summit, September 9 (Saturday), with the unveiling of a new corridor from India to France. At the time of the announcement of this corridor, the representative of China was not present in the meeting hall.

Details of India, Middle East, Europe Corridor

According to the report of the designers of this transit route, the new corridor they are considering will increase the flow of energy, trade, and digital communication, and deal with the infrastructure deficit that hinders the growth of low- and middle-income countries, and according to its designers, it will reduce tension. and instability in the Middle East and as a result improve the security of the region. The aim of this plan is to integrate railway routes and port connections, from India to Europe, passing through the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the occupied territories, and finally France.

According to a representative of the European Commission, in addition to accelerating the movement of goods in these regions, this integration will focus on the development of energy infrastructure, facilitating the production and transportation of environmentally friendly green hydrogen to all participating countries. As part of the plan, there are plans to improve telecommunications and data connectivity through the deployment of a new undersea cable that will connect the entire region.

This route, which starts from Indian ports, goes by sea to Jebel Ali port in UAE, then to places in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Haifa port in the occupied territories, the Mediterranean Sea and Piraeus in Greece, and finally to Europe. arrives.

Needless to say, the operationalization of this path is not so simple and there is a long way to reach the implementation stage. At the same time, the details are currently very opaque. But American and European officials who attended the meeting hailed the announcement as a game-changer and a historic move. They said the corridor would reduce trade time between India and Europe by 40 percent.

Corridor and each of the actors

America: First, let’s go to America, which participated in this summit with Biden. Biden’s office said that the President of the United States and the leaders of India, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates are moving forward with their plans to agree on a common infrastructure.

Also, Jake Sullivan, Biden’s national security advisor, in his comments, called the new corridor from India to Europe a network that reflects Biden’s vision for “broad investments” that result from “effective American leadership” and the willingness to accept other countries as partners.

He said it would strengthen the infrastructure for economic growth, help bring the countries of the Middle East together, and present the region as a “source of challenge, conflict or crisis” as well as a hub for economic activity.

Analysts believe that Biden intends to counter China’s Belt and Road in global infrastructure by introducing Washington as an alternative partner and investor for developing countries in the G20 group.

Saudi Arabia: Perhaps the most controversial and questionable member of the G20 that has joined this corridor is Saudi Arabia. In recent years, especially in the last two years, the Saudis have become very close to China and Russia due to the war in Ukraine, and it seems questionable to be in a corridor that bypasses the Chinese Silk Road route with its many advantages. Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, said in this meeting that the new project will include pipelines for electricity, hydrogen and railways and will contribute to international energy security, and emphasized that this corridor is not against any other road or corridor.