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<\/div>\nIndia is planning an ambitious connectivity project that aims to link New Delhi to the Middle East<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Washington: <\/b><\/p>\n
To counter China’s footprint in Gulf, India is planning an ambitious connectivity project that aims to link New Delhi to the Middle East, reported Foreign Policy.<\/p>\n
National Security Adviser Ajit Doval held a meeting with his US and UAE counterparts, which was also attended by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The leaders discussed a joint infrastructure project that would connect the Middle Eastern countries via rail.<\/p>\n
The ambitious connectivity project aims to link the Middle East to India through roads, rails, and seaports. The idea emerged during meetings of the I2U2 group – which also includes Israel – over the last year, Axios reported.<\/p>\n
The I2U2 group – a relatively new vehicle for US-India cooperation in the Middle East – was not envisioned as a China-focused entity, given the close commercial cooperation that both the UAE and Israel enjoy with China, reported Foreign Policy.<\/p>\n
Saudi Arabia hasn’t formalized relations with Israel, which means the latter isn’t a formal part of the project, but its membership in I2U2 suggests it will have a role.<\/p>\n
The connectivity project shows just how much India benefits from the Abraham Accords, the Trump-era agreement that normalized relations between Israel and several of its Arab neighbours.<\/p>\n
The deal allowed for the establishment of the I2U2 group, and discussions there gave rise to the new initiative, reported Foreign Policy.<\/p>\n
The proposed initiative signals that India and the United States are ready to take their joint efforts to counter China beyond the Indo-Pacific region and into the Middle East.<\/p>\n
It’s clear the Biden administration views the connectivity project as a way to balance Chinese power in the region. “Nobody said it out loud, but it was about China from day one,” a former senior Israeli official told Axios.<\/p>\n
The connectivity project aims to leverage India’s capacity as an infrastructure provider. Its track record includes the construction of the world’s largest rail system and contributions to cross-border electricity-sharing arrangements. Through the new initiative, Indian officials hope to develop a deeper infrastructure footprint in the Middle East to counter China’s BRI.<\/p>\n
According to one assessment, in a best-case scenario, India could eventually benefit from land and sea trade routes stretching from Israel and the UAE all the way to Greece’s Piraeus port and onward into Europe.<\/p>\n
India wants to participate in a new multilateral effort to push back against China’s growing Middle East footprint – driven by Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) investments and by a recent strategic agreement with Iran.<\/p>\n
Notably, Beijing also recently mediated a reconciliation deal between Tehran and Riyadh, reported Foreign Policy.<\/p>\n
The Middle East is an increasingly significant space for India, given its trade interests there and the several million Indians who work in the region and send remittances back home.<\/p>\n
Moreover, recently Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen visited New Delhi. Although he departed early because of a crisis with Gaza, he likely planned to meet with Indian interlocutors about the connectivity project.<\/p>\n
In a statement released before the visit, Cohen said India can play a key role in strengthening regional stability in the Middle East, reported Foreign Policy.<\/p>\n
India now has opportunities to scale up influence, trade, and diplomacy beyond the Indo-Pacific region – all in a year while holding the G-20 presidency, enjoying rapid economic growth, and overtaking China as the world’s most populous country.
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(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n