In New Delhi on Oct. 6, Gérard Mestrallet, France’s special envoy for the India‑Middle East‑Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), said the initiative has continued to operate amid a range of difficulties, including the conflict in Iran and disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz. He noted that the corridor has been functioning despite these challenges, which he highlighted during a press interaction.
Mestrallet explained that the IMEC is designed as a network of complementary routes to enhance resilience. If one route encounters a blockage, accident, technical fault or local crisis, alternate routes remain available, ensuring uninterrupted connectivity.
Billed as a pathbreaking project, the IMEC envisions extensive road, rail and shipping links that connect Saudi Arabia, India, the United States and Europe. The goal is to integrate Asia, the Middle East and the West through a comprehensive trans‑regional network. The corridor was formalised on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Delhi in September 2023 when India, Saudi Arabia, the European Union, the United Arab Emirates, the United States and other G20 partners signed an agreement.
EU signatories Italy, France and Germany are partners in the project. In an August 2025 interview with PTI Videos, Italy’s special envoy for the IMEC, Francesco Talo, said the ambitious project began with a lot of hope and is especially needed in times of volatility driven by global security challenges. He added that India is certainly crucial to the initiative because of its large market and production capacity.
