New Delhi, May 14: The proposed India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) is gaining diplomatic traction, with senior officials from Greece and Israel endorsing the initiative as a transformative trade and connectivity project with significant geopolitical and economic implications.
Alexandra Papadopoulou described IMEC as a “long-term certificate for stability,” highlighting its potential to reshape trade and economic integration from India through the Middle East to Europe. The corridor is expected to enhance supply chain resilience while fostering regional cooperation in a historically volatile geography.
Echoing similar sentiment, Sharren Haskel emphasised strong opportunities for collaboration across infrastructure, energy, and security domains, signalling Israel’s strategic interest in the project.
IMEC is being positioned as a values-driven alternative to China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), aiming to diversify global trade routes and reduce dependence on Beijing-led infrastructure networks. Over the past decade, China has expanded its economic footprint across Eurasia through large-scale investments in transport, energy, and telecommunications, creating deep economic interlinkages aligned with its strategic interests.
Against this backdrop, IMEC seeks to offer a more transparent and partnership-oriented framework, counterbalancing China’s state-driven financing model while promoting open and rules-based connectivity.
Greek leadership has expressed broad political support for the corridor, viewing it as an opportunity to strengthen regional stability and economic prosperity through enhanced cooperation among like-minded nations.
From a strategic standpoint, IMEC represents a critical effort to reconfigure global trade architecture, improve connectivity between key markets, and establish a more balanced and resilient economic ecosystem spanning India, the Middle East, and Europe.
