With the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) taking center stage again after recent regional disturbances, Indian and Israeli officials held high-level discussions in New Delhi to deepen strategic collaboration across counterterrorism, trade, and connectivity.
The political discussion takes place as preparations are being made for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s possible visit to India in the coming months.
During a three-day visit to India, Israel’s Foreign Affairs Minister Gideon Sa’ar and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar talked about the next stages for executing IMEC, a transformative connectivity plan that was approved at the 2023 G20 Summit.
Israel has reaffirmed its unwavering support for IMEC, which intends to connect South Asia, West Asia, and Europe through integrated port, rail, and road networks. Sa’ar described collaborations as promising opportunities for the future and emphasized the potential of IMEC and the I2U2 grouping (India-Israel-UAE-USA) to strengthen regional connectivity.
The IMEC project aims to transfer container traffic from western ports in India to the United Arab Emirates. High-speed freight rails will then be used to transport commodities across the Arabian Peninsula, eventually arriving in Haifa, Israel, for further transportation to European markets. Although the future of the corridor was unknown due to the Hamas onslaught on Israel, recent events and the end of hostilities have brought the corridor’s advancement back into focus.
Regarding regional security, both countries made reference to the Gaza peace plan, which allowed for a ceasefire and prisoner and hostage exchanges. India continues to keep a close eye on developments and has expressed strong support for a long-term resolution in Gaza.
Jaishankar called for a worldwide zero tolerance policy, highlighting India and Israel’s shared commitment to combating terrorism. Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and Hamas in Gaza pose risks to Israel, according to Sa’ar, highlighting the need to eliminate radical terror nations for long-term regional security.
Recalling that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the first international leader to contact Netanyahu following the October 7 attacks, Israel expressed gratitude for his swift support in the wake of the Hamas offensive. The discussion grew to cover all facets of the strategic partnership between the two countries, including political relations, defense cooperation, and quickly expanding economic connections.
With Indian commercial interests eager to take advantage of Israel’s infrastructure prospects, the new bilateral investment pact represents a major step forward in economic relations, and Air India is considering direct flights to Israel beginning in January. The two parties intend to strengthen their cooperation in sectors that have been highlighted as shared priority, including agriculture, innovation, semiconductors, cyber security, and artificial intelligence.
The increasing number of Indian workers in Israel was also discussed, with officials looking for ways to resolve practical problems brought on by increased mobility agreements.
It was noted that both countries would benefit from exchanging strategic viewpoints on regional and global events.
Sa’ar met with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and visited the Haifa monument in New Delhi as part of the defense and security discussions. A key tenet of the developing India-Israel connection continues to be broader cooperation in the areas of agriculture, defense, trade, technology, and people-to-people contacts.
