Overview

• Jonathan Zadka, head of the Middle East Bureau at Israel’s Foreign Ministry, said ongoing talks with India and other signatories aim to secure formal IMEC membership
• The Gaza conflict has deepened regional instability and blocked the Gulf-Europe segment that relies on rail and shipping routes through Haifa to Greece and Italy
• India’s strategic partnerships with the UAE and Saudi Arabia continue to drive progress on the eastern India-Gulf corridor despite western link delays
• Italy’s IMEC envoy highlighted projects such as the Blue Raman undersea cable from Mumbai to Genoa and proposed Trieste as a European hub for data and energy flows
• Full realization of the corridor remains contingent on resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and advancing Saudi-Israel normalization efforts