India-Middle East-Europe corridor will become basis of world trade: PM Modi on Mann Ki Baat

Addressing the nation with 108th episode of 'Mann ki Baat', PM Narendra Modi on Sunday said that the India-Middle East-Europe corridor will become a basis of world trade for the coming centuries and history will remember that it was envisioned in India.

During the G20 Summit in Delhi, PM Modi, US President Joe Biden, Chancellor of Germany Olaf Scholz, Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman, UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Italy PM Giorgia Meloni, and EU President Ursula von der Leyen unanimously agreed to establish the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC). 

The IMEC will be a route in the historic sense of the word (with the geopolitical and economic significance that entails), providing transport connectivity to accelerate the development and integration of Asia, the Arabian Gulf, and Europe as a new locus of global power. 

Talking about the new corridor, Modi recalled the "Silk route", an ancient trade corridor used by India when it was a prosperous and great trading power, and said the country suggested the India-Middle East-Europe economic corridor at the recent G20 Summit. 

“India-Middle East-Europe Economic corridor proposed during the Summit will become a basis of world trade for hundreds of years,” PM Modi said.

He also lauded India’s role in making the African Union a full member of the G20 bloc, highlighting the country’s commitment to enhancing its global partnerships.

“India showcased its leadership by making the African Union a full member of the G20 bloc,” PM Modi stated.

“Throughout the year, programmes related to G20 were held at numerous universities of the country. Now in this series, another exciting programme is about to take place in Delhi, which is G20 University connect programme,” PM Modi said.

The successful summit after the success of India's Chandrayaan-3 mission doubled every citizen's happiness, he said while noting that the two accomplishments have figured most in the messages he has received from people.

Noting that World Tourism Day falls on September 27, he said tourism is said to create maximum employment with minimum investment, adding that goodwill matters a lot in drawing tourists.

India's goodwill has risen over the last few years, he said, adding that it has only gone up further with the G20 meetings as over one lakh foreign delegates travelled to different parts of the country and witnessed its diversity and heritage.

Modi said it was a matter of immense pride that Santiniketan associated with Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore and the Hoysala temples of Karnataka were recently declared world heritage sites.

Such sites number now 42 in India and it is the country's efforts to have more and more places associated with its culture and heritage recognised as the World Heritage Sites.

(With agency inputs)

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