Senior Greek and Israeli diplomats have voiced strong support for the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), describing the proposed trade route as a transformative project that could unlock significant economic opportunities and bring lasting stability to a region long marked by conflict. Their remarks, cited in a recent report, come as IMEC gains renewed diplomatic momentum.

What the Diplomats Said

Greek Deputy Foreign Minister Alexandra Papadopoulou called IMEC 'the real long-term certificate for stability in the region', adding that the project 'would change the whole region from India all the way to Europe'. She noted that the corridor has the backing of the majority of Greek political leaders — a signal of rare cross-party consensus on a foreign policy initiative.

Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel said Israel sees considerable scope for collaboration in security and economic connectivity, with a particular focus on infrastructure and energy. 'I think our relationship goes back thousands of years. These are two ancient civilisations that have shared so much with the world as well,' Haskel said, framing the corridor as an extension of deep civilisational ties between India and Israel.

IMEC as a Strategic Counterweight to China's BRI

The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor is designed to offer a 'values-based' alternative to China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), according to the report, with the explicit aim of reducing Beijing's leverage over Eurasian trade and energy flows. Over the past decade, China has deployed large-scale investments in transportation, energy, and telecommunications to establish a commanding presence across the Middle East, South Asia, and Europe.

This has, according to the report, created a structural interdependence in which economic relationships are inextricably linked to Chinese strategic interests. IMEC, the report argues, represents a normative counterweight — favouring decentralised, market-driven financing over the state-centric, top-down model that characterises BRI.

Greece's Role and Regional Significance

Papadopoulou positioned Greece as a model of close bilateral cooperation in pursuit of shared goals. 'We can serve as a good example of close cooperation between two countries that share similar goals and similar objectives about stability, peace, and prosperity in the entire region,' she said. Greece's role as a key European maritime gateway makes it a critical node in the IMEC architecture, connecting sea lanes from the Indian Ocean through the Mediterranean into continental Europe.

What Comes Next

IMEC was formally announced on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in New Delhi in September 2023, signed by India, the United States, the European Union, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, France, Germany, Italy, and others. Implementation timelines and detailed infrastructure agreements remain under negotiation. With both Greece and Israel now publicly championing the corridor, diplomatic pressure on participating governments to accelerate planning is likely to grow.