President Joe Biden, along with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other G20 leaders has announced a significant plan at the G20 Summit. They want to build a massive rail and shipping route that connects India with the Middle East and Europe to boost trade between these regions. This project is called the India – Middle East – Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC). It will consist of two parts: one linking India to the Arabian Gulf and another connecting the Gulf to Europe. The goal is to reduce trade costs, create jobs, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and make trade more efficient.
The corridor will have a railway that can transport goods from ships and also provide a way to lay cables for electricity, digital connections, and pipes for exporting clean hydrogen.
President Biden sees this project as a significant achievement, and it’s part of his efforts to promote economic growth. It’s worth noting that this initiative is seen as a response to China’s Belt and Road Initiative, which is a massive global infrastructure project involving many countries.
As for the timeline and cost of this project, those details are not clear yet. However, officials will work on a detailed plan and set timelines for it in the next 60 days. One important aspect of this project is its potential to reduce tensions in the Middle East, as it aims to improve relations between countries in the region.
This announcement was made after negotiations involving the U.S., India, Saudi Arabia, and the U.A.E. It’s seen as a way to normalize relations between Israel and the Arabian Gulf states.