US President Joe Biden (R) shaking hands with his UAE counterpart Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al-Nahyan during a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on September 23. (Image: Ryan CARTER/UAE PRESIDENTIAL COURT/AFP)
Once complete, the ambitious project — launched at the 2023 G20 Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi — will connect India by ship-to-rail through the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel and Europe through Greece
US President Joe Biden and his counterpart from the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed discussed the progress of the landmark India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) and underscored its potential to usher in a “new era of international connectivity”.
The ambitious project was launched at the 2023 G20 Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi, together with the leaders of India, Saudi Arabia, France, Germany, Italy, and the European Union. When complete, it will connect India by ship-to-rail through the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel and Europe through Greece.
At the meeting held at the White House on Monday (September 23), Biden and Zayed reaffirmed that the corridor will generate economic growth, increase efficiencies, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and enable the transformative integration of Asia, Europe and the Middle East, as per a joint statement.
The two leaders underscored that the transformative partnership had the potential to usher in a “new era of international connectivity” to facilitate global trade and clean energy distribution, expand reliable access to electricity and strengthen telecommunication.
According to the statement, they stressed on the importance of joint initiatives to promote a circular economy and advance sustainable practices, underscoring their commitment to innovation for resource efficiency and environmentally responsible growth.
Earlier, welcoming Zayed to the White House, Biden said UAE is a nation of trailblazers always looking to the future and making big bets. “That’s something our countries have in common, and our people have in common. In fact, it’s a cornerstone of our growing cooperation in AI, in clean energy, in space, and investing in infrastructure to connect regions,” he said.
Biden also announced plans to make UAE a major defence partner of the US, which is the only other country after India to get this status.
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – PTI)
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