India-Middle East-Europe corridor not a counter to China’s BRI: Jaishankar

India’s foreign minister S Jaishankar asserted that the new multinational rail and shipping route connecting India and the Middle Eastto Europe does not pose any threat to China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and dissuaded efforts to portray the US-backed project as a counter to Beijing’s multibillion dollar infrastructure project.

Speaking exclusively to WION, Jaishankar termed the connectivity project “a very significant initiative”, which is “rooted deeply in tradition”.

“I would urge you to see things positively rather than see everything negatively in terms of countering other people,” the minister said in response to a question about the initiative being seen as a counter to China’s BRI.

“I think this is an initiative of very important countries, who are also good in it for themselves. They are not doing it because they are against somebody and something. They're doing it because they areforsomething,” he added.

Talking about the prospects of the corridor project, Jaishankar said, “I think it's a very, very significant initiative because at one level it is rooted very deeply in tradition, for hundreds of thousands of years, people have been traversing this route from India to Europe and back through the gulf, through the Arabian Peninsula.”

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“So, there's a long tradition, but it stopped for a variety of historical reasons. It has been reduced. Today, I think we have the circumstances, the fact that all the countries involved which you mentioned, they all are interested in reviving this tradition, but reviving it in a modern way so we are really looking at an economic corridor, partly maritime, partly railway, there will be other aspects for it, not just logistics, different aspects of economic activity. So, I think it's an enormously promising initiative. Obviously, we'll have to work very hard and see how to take it forward,” he added.

When asked when will the project begin, the minister responded, “I think you had an agreement, in principle right now, you have to be a little bit patient.”

The connectivity project was announced at the Group of 20 (G20) Summit in India.

It is comprised of two separate routes – an east corridor linking India to the Gulf Arab states and a northern corridor connecting the Gulf states to Europe.

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