US President Joe Biden and his UAE counterpart Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed discussed the progress of the historic India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) and underlined its potential to usher in “a new era of international connectivity”.
This ambitious project was launched together with the leaders of India, Saudi Arabia, France, Germany, Italy and the European Union at the G20 Leaders Summit held in New Delhi in 2023. When completed, it will connect India with Europe via the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel and Greece with ship-to-rail connections.
At a meeting held at the White House on Monday, Biden and Zayed affirmed that the corridor will boost economic growth, increase efficiency, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and enable the transformational integration of Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, according to a joint statement.
The two leaders emphasized that this transformational partnership has the potential to usher in “a new era of international connectivity” by facilitating global trade and clean energy distribution, expanding reliable access to electricity, and strengthening telecommunications.
According to the statement, they stressed the importance of joint initiatives to promote the circular economy and advance sustainable practices, and underlined their commitment to innovation for resource efficiency and environmentally responsible growth.
Earlier, welcoming Zayed to the White House, Biden said the UAE is a leading nation that is always looking to the future and making big bets. “This is something that our countries and our people have in common. In fact, it is a cornerstone of our growing cooperation in AI, in clean energy, in space, and in investments in infrastructure to connect the regions,” he said.
Biden also announced plans to make the United Arab Emirates a major defense partner of the United States, the only other country to have this status after India.
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