Middle East conflict 'negatively' impacted IMEC progress, but work continues: UAE Envoy
UAE Ambassador Abdulnasser Alshaali Discusses Impact of Middle East Conflict on India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor
In Sonipat, Haryana, UAE ambassador Abdulnasser Alshaali addressed the challenges faced by the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) due to the ongoing Middle East conflict. Despite these challenges, work on the project continues. IMEC, introduced at the 2023 G20 Summit in New Delhi, aims to connect India to Europe through a ship-to-rail corridor passing through the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel, and Greece.
The Israel-Hamas conflict, ongoing for 15 months, has raised concerns about the project's progress. Alshaali emphasized the importance of developing alternate supply routes to mitigate risks. He stated, "There have been developments in the Middle East, and they have negatively impacted work on IMEC, but not in the sense that the work has stopped."
IMEC is designed to enhance trade, economic cooperation, and regional integration, with routes linking India to the Gulf and the Gulf to Europe. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar described IMEC as a key global connectivity project.
Earlier, Alshaali inaugurated four padel courts at OP Jindal Global University in Sonipat, named after UAE airlines. This initiative is part of efforts to strengthen ties through sports diplomacy. Alshaali highlighted the importance of people-to-people connections and shared plans for further collaboration, including a jiu-jitsu arena and a new sports complex at JGU.
He emphasized maintaining bilateral momentum in 2025, with continued high-level visits and progress in various sectors.
Doubts Revealed
UAE Ambassador
An ambassador is a person who represents their country in another country. The UAE Ambassador is the representative of the United Arab Emirates in another country.
Abdulnasser Alshaali
Abdulnasser Alshaali is the name of the UAE Ambassador who is discussing the topic in the summary.
Middle East Conflict
The Middle East conflict refers to ongoing disagreements and sometimes fighting in the Middle East region, which can affect other countries and projects.
India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC)
IMEC is a project that aims to connect India with Europe through the Middle East to improve trade and cooperation between these regions.
Risk Mitigation
Risk mitigation means finding ways to reduce or manage risks, like finding new routes to avoid problems in a project.
Padel Courts
Padel is a sport similar to tennis, and padel courts are the places where this sport is played.
OP Jindal Global University
OP Jindal Global University is a university in India where the padel courts were inaugurated.
Sports Diplomacy
Sports diplomacy is using sports to improve relationships and understanding between different countries.
Bilateral Momentum
Bilateral momentum refers to the ongoing positive relationship and cooperation between two countries.
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