By Vishu Adhana
New Delhi [India], October 6 (ANI): Egypt, Lebanon, Oman, Greece and Cyprus have expressed interest in joining the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), French President’s Special Envoy for IMEC Gérard Mestrallet said on Tuesday, adding that an IMEC ministerial meeting is expected to be held later this year to consider expanding the corridor’s membership.
Mestrallet, who is visiting India from October 5-7 to advance the IMEC project and France-India cooperation on connectivity, said any decision to expand the corridor would have to be taken by its eight existing signatory governments.
“We have eight signatories and they are heads of state. Potential extension will only be decided by the eight governments. We hope that in the ministerial meeting we could decide to extend the perimeter of IMEC,” Mestrallet said at a press conference in New Delhi.
He specifically named Egypt, Lebanon and Oman among countries interested in working with or joining the corridor, while identifying Greece and Cyprus as two European countries that would be particularly keen to become full members.
Mestrallet also clarified that Jordan and Israel, although not among the eight original signatories, were mentioned in the initial agreement.
“They have not signed because they were not present. It’s Jordan and Israel, although they were mentioned,” he said.
The IMEC was announced in September 2023 by India, the United States, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, France, Germany, Italy and the European Union. The ambitious connectivity initiative envisages linking India with Europe through the Arabian Peninsula using a combination of shipping, rail and other connectivity infrastructure.
Mestrallet said that since the creation of IMEC, the participating countries have so far held meetings at the steering committee level, but there has not yet been a ministerial-level meeting.
“We hope that by the end of this year there will be a ministerial meeting because in the meantime, since the creation of IMEC, there was only a steering committee, not a ministerial committee,” he said.
He stressed that only a ministerial meeting involving the existing governments could decide whether the corridor’s geographical and membership perimeter should be expanded.
At the same time, Mestrallet said IMEC would have to work with countries and ports outside the original group irrespective of whether they eventually become full members.
“In any case, members or not members, we will have to work with them because they want to work positively, and so we have to work with them to find the best possible method — being a full member or associated member or something else,” he said.
The remarks come amid renewed efforts by the participating countries to move ahead with the corridor, which seeks to establish a multimodal connectivity route linking India to the Middle East and Europe, including through ports, rail networks and associated clean-energy and digital infrastructure.
Mestrallet is also scheduled to participate in discussions on green shipping corridors and IMEC ports during his India visit. On Tuesday, he spoke at the IMEC Ports Club Working Day in New Delhi alongside Christophe Castaner, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Port of Marseille Fos. (ANI)
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