Archive · 7 Oct 2026
More Nations Seek to Join India-Middle East-Europe Corridor
The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor, or IMEC, is a plan to connect trade routes between India, the Middle East and Europe.
A French envoy says several more countries want to take part.
The countries named include Oman, Lebanon, Egypt, Greece and Cyprus.
Ports in these and other places may join a group that helps coordinate the corridor.
Its first workshop took place in New Delhi.
Participants agreed to work on four pilot projects and a plan extending to 2027-28.
The goal is to make trade routes more dependable.
If one route is blocked or disrupted, ships could use another option.
French envoy Gerard Mestrallet said Oman, Lebanon, Egypt, Greece and Cyprus have expressed interest in joining IMEC.
The corridor’s work has accelerated amid the West Asia war and disruptions to key trade routes.
Ports outside the original agreement have approached the IMEC Ports Club, which coordinates port-level cooperation.
The club’s first workshop in New Delhi launched four pilot projects and a roadmap through 2027-28.
The wider port network is intended to offer alternative routes during blockages, accidents, technical disruptions or local crises.
- Who
- French President’s Special Envoy for IMEC Gerard Mestrallet; interested countries include Oman, Lebanon, Egypt, Greece and Cyprus.
- What
- More countries and ports are seeking to join or coordinate with the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor.
- When
- The Ports Club held its first workshop on Tuesday; the roadmap runs through 2027-28.
- Where
- The workshop was held in New Delhi; the proposed network spans India, the Middle East and Europe.
- Why
- To build more resilient trade routes with alternatives when individual route segments are disrupted.
Resilience benefits
Disruption risks
Expanding the port network
Resilience benefits
Supporters say a wider network could provide alternative routes and make IMEC more resilient to blockages, accidents, technical disruptions or local crises.
Disruption risks
The article reports that disruptions on key trade routes and the West Asia war have accelerated work on enabling components, but gives no opposing assessment of the risks or costs of expanding the network.
- Corridor
- India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC)
- Countries expressing interest
- Oman, Lebanon, Egypt, Greece and Cyprus
- Ports Club purpose
- Port-level coordination intended to make the corridor more operational
- First workshop
- Held in New Delhi on Tuesday
- Roadmap period
- Through 2027-28
- Pilot project areas
- Supply chains, trade facilitation, digital interoperability and decarbonised energy corridors
- Main Indian node
- Upcoming Vadhavan port in Maharashtra
- Ports Club proponents
- Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone and France’s Marseille Fos Port