Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (right) in a previous meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (Reuters)
The Russian newspaper Nezavisimaya reported that the UAE and India signed a framework agreement to establish a trade corridor linking Delhi to Europe via the Middle East region, which received the approval of the United States and the European Union, but the details of how the idea will be implemented have not been announced.
The newspaper added - in a report by writer Vladimir Skosyrev - that experts confirm that this corridor must include Israel, but against the backdrop of the war on Gaza, it will face obstruction from Arab countries.
The agreement was reached during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent visit to the UAE.
According to "Nezavisimaya", the Indian Foreign Ministry confirmed that Delhi and Dubai had reached an understanding on this issue even before Modi's visit, as the message regarding the corridor was announced in September 2023 during the G20 summit in Delhi.
The writer quoted Primakov Ras, head of the Indian Ocean Region Center at the Institute of World Economy and International Relations, as saying that it is possible to implement a mobility corridor, but its cost will be much greater than the sea corridor that passes through the Suez Canal.
Exaggeration and interests
He added that statements about the returns of cooperation can be described as exaggerated, as in reality each party cares about its own interests, knowing that India needs that corridor in order to “export” its workforce.
The writer pointed out that the details of the agreement talk about building factories next to a railway, which will actually make it possible to confront China’s influence.
The "Nezavisimaya" report explained that India considers itself a guarantor of security in the Indian Ocean, and that is why it is not a coincidence that it sent its warships to assist ships subjected to Houthi attacks.
On the other hand, India promotes that China is the one that threatens stability and freedom of navigation in the Indian Ocean, as stated by Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar at a conference on security in the Indian Ocean in Perth, Australia.
The writer reported that the Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not mention any country concerned with the corridor in the region other than India itself and the UAE, indicating that the reason for this is related to the ongoing 4-month war on Gaza, which led to the obstruction of the United States’ plans to deepen Israel’s partnership with some of its neighbors.
According to the Russian newspaper, India and the UAE signed a bilateral investment agreement, and also agreed to cooperate in the field of electricity transmission and digital infrastructure. Modi spoke in Abu Dhabi in front of thousands of Indian workers living in the country and opened the first Hindu temple in the Muslim country.
Source: Russian press