Despite the geopolitical turmoil and the ongoing conflict in West Asia, India and its partners are continuing discussions on the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), with a special focus on strengthening maritime connectivity between the Gulf and southern Europe, according to government sources aware of the matter. The immediate focus is on identifying the European ports that could be integrated into the economic corridor.
Officials said discussions are underway on connectivity corridors with the UAE, while India is also engaging with European partners, including Italy, Greece and France, on maritime connectivity.
"Yes, the project is progressing because we are building connectivity corridors in India and the UAE. We have also been talking about IMEC with Italy, France and others. They are keen to strengthen those maritime links," a government source said.
The conflict in West Asia had raised concerns over possible delays in implementing the corridor, which aims to connect India with Europe through the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel and Mediterranean ports.
According to the sources, European countries are holding discussions to identify the ports that could emerge as key hubs for cargo arriving through the corridor. France has pitched Marseille as the principal Mediterranean gateway, while Greece wants one of its ports to be integrated into the network. Italy, meanwhile, is advocating for Trieste to serve as one of the corridor's major junctions.
"There is competition between France, Greece and Italy. France says Marseille should be the main port, Greece wants one of its ports to be included, while Italy wants Trieste to be an important junction," the source said.
Given these competing interests, officials said IMEC is expected to evolve into a diversified network with multiple maritime and logistics hubs across southern Europe, providing greater flexibility and resilience in trade flows between India and Europe.
In May, India and Italy committed to further developing IMEC to strengthen trade, investment and supply chain resilience.
IMEC has eight signatories—India, the US, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, France, Germany, Italy and the European Union (EU). The corridor comprises two primary multimodal trade routes connecting Asia, the Middle East and Europe. The eastern corridor will connect India with the Gulf, while the northern corridor will link the Gulf with Europe. The project aims to enhance connectivity, improve efficiency, reduce logistics costs, strengthen regional supply chains, expand trade, generate employment and lower greenhouse gas emissions, resulting in deeper economic integration across Asia, the Middle East and Europe.
