A North-South Asia Corridor Is A Step In The Right Direction

Relevance: GS2 - Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests

(Source: Indian Express, 05/09/2023)

Click here for Daily Current Affairs

Why in the news?

• Recently, National Security Advisers (NSAs) of the US, India, and the UAE met with Saudi Prince and Prime Minister Mohammad Bin Salman in Saudi Arabia to discuss a shared vision of a more secure and prosperous Middle East region interconnected with India and the world.
  • The idea of the new initiative came up during talks held over the last 18 months in a forum called I2U2, which includes the US, Israel, the UAE and India.

Key points of the meeting

• The summit in Saudi Arabia was organized to explore a plan to connect nations in West Asia via rail networks and highways, as well as to develop maritime routes connecting the area to South Asia.
• This enormous endeavor is undoubtedly a reaction to China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which Beijing has exploited to expand its reach across Asia.
• Fears about China's "debt trap" and the recent lessening of hostilities between West Asian competitors make the infrastructure project appear attractive and practical.
• Indian railway skills, recently displayed in Sri Lanka, may be put to good use while also helping to cement the country's status as a major project executor.
• Direct corridor between West Asia and the Indian Subcontinent will enable a more consistent and stable supply of crude oil, therefore bolstering the country's energy security.
• A stronger, more direct presence of Indian firms and the government in the area can improve the prospects of millions of Indian employees.

Why is West Asia significant?

• West Asia connects three continents: Asia, Africa, and Europe. It's known as the Asia-Africa Gateway and Europe's Back Door.
• The continent of West Asia meets three seas: the Mediterranean, Red, and Arabian Seas. It is an international commerce hub with several areas.
  • The world's two most vital waterways, the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles, are both located here.
• The discovery of oil in this area has significantly boosted its significance. The international powers have intervened in this region due to strategic concerns.

Significance of the meeting

• It is a step forward in India's outreach to West Asia, building on the endeavor launched with the I2U2 grouping of India, Israel, the United States, and the United Arab Emirates in October 2021.
  • This is especially significant in light of recent events, which have given the impression of a diminishing American role and a rising Beijing-Moscow presence in the region, ranging from the hasty and poorly executed US withdrawal from Afghanistan and the return of the Taliban to China ostensibly brokering peace between Iran and Saudi Arabia earlier this year.
• The conference implies a bigger, integrated strategy to India's West, maybe comparable to the Indo-Pacific, in collaboration with the US and regional allies.

Objective of India’s participation

• China's influence in the West Asian region: Beijing has expanded its area of political influence in the West Asian region through what Delhi calls "mission creep" – the breakthrough in ties between Saudi Arabia and Iran took India by guard.
• India's interests in West Asia: This project may have repercussions for India's interests in West Asia, which supplies energy security. Such a link will allow for speedier crude transfer while lowering India's long-term expenses.
  • The improved connectivity would also benefit India's eight million residents who live and work in the Gulf region.
• Infrastructure builder: The project would assist India in developing a brand as an infrastructure builder in the railway industry. With a robust rail network at home and the experience of building similar infrastructure in Sri Lanka, India is confident in doing so abroad.
  • It encourages private and public sector organizations to investigate possible economic and infrastructural prospects in the region.
  • This will also have the impact of opposing the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative, which has saddled several nations in the area with infrastructure of minimal use.
• India’s connectivity to its western neighbours: The government believes that Pakistan's obstruction of overland transport routes has long hindered India's connectivity with its western neighbors.
  • India wishes to employ marine routes to access West Asian ports. Chabahar and Bandar-e-Abbas (Iran), Duqm (Oman), Dubai (UAE), Jeddah (Saudi Arabia), and Kuwait City are among them.
• Connectivity projects crisscrossing the Gulf and Arab nations, with Indian stakes, increase commercial potential.

(*Click this link to read prelims specific weekly current affairs articles)

FAQs

MCQ

Question: Which of the following countries are associated with I2U2?

1. USA
2. UAE
3. India
4. Russia

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

(a) 1, 2 and 3 only

(b) 2, 3 and 4 only

(c) 1, 3 and 4 only

(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4