Israel Envoy Hopes for IMEC, I2U2 Momentum, Sees India Partnership

Israel believes the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor holds promise. Special Envoy Fleur Hassan-Nahoum expressed hope for the I2U2 grouping to regain momentum. She highlighted potential for deeper cooperation between India and the UAE. Israel and India are seen as a strong strategic partnership, combining India's human resources with Israel's technology.

Jerusalem: Special Envoy of the Foreign Ministry of Israel, Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, said there are still significant opportunities for the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) and expressed hope that the I2U2 grouping can regain momentum in the future.

Speaking to on the future of IMEC and I2U2, Nahoum said Israel sees scope for deeper cooperation involving India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

"There is still an opportunity here. I was speaking to the Indian ambassador about it, and he agreed with me. After PM Modi's visit, we have a lot of trade agreements that have been set down... I don't see why the UAE cannot be involved in this... I don't want to believe that I2U2 is dead... There is a nice special relationship that we could develop with the UAE and India. The USA is kind of a daddy in the story," she said.

Nahoum also spoke about her family's historical connection with India, particularly Kolkata.

"My husband's family are the Nahum family from Calcutta. They are originally Baghdadi Jews who moved in the 1800s when things got unpleasant for Jews; they moved to Calcutta. Many other Jews moved to Mumbai, and they set up the first kind of Western-style bakery in Calcutta in the New Market, and it's still going after over 150 years. It's still owned by the family," she said.

She added that the bakery reflected India's social harmony and diversity.

"We go there regularly, and for us, it's a wonderful story that there are Jewish owners, management is Hindu, all the workers are Muslim, and the customers are mixed, including many Christians as well," she said.

Nahoum further said she has travelled extensively across India and has a deep appreciation for Indian culture and cuisine.

"I love India. I've been all over the place; I've been to Rajasthan and I've been to the south. I've been, of course, to Kolkata and the surroundings of Kolkata. There's always something new in India, something to find. People are kind and gentle. I love the food and the culture," she said.

Speaking on regional tensions, Nahoum said lasting peace in the Middle East would remain difficult while Iran's current regime remained in power.

"I don't think there's a real possibility of peace whilst a jihadi extreme Shia group is in charge and oppressing the people of Iran, oppressing the region, and acting like terrorists with proxies," she said.

She also expressed doubts over the possibility of the Iranian regime complying with future agreements.

"In the Middle East, you never know what can happen, even tomorrow. So we could end up with an attempt at a ceasefire again, or a peace treaty. But ultimately, I don't think that the Islamic Republic is ever going to change its spots or give up uranium enrichment, nuclear development, ballistic development, or terrorizing their neighbors in the region," she added.

Nahoum described Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Israel as highly significant and said India and Israel could become a powerful strategic partnership.

"The visit here of Prime Minister Modi was very significant. He left with a lot of good trade deals on the table between Israel and India. India is a friend of Israel and can also be a great, honest broker in the region," she said.

She added that India's human resources and Israel's technological capabilities could complement each other across sectors such as trade, defence, energy and artificial intelligence.

"I think we have a lot of things in common. We are democracies that, through the odds, have continued to be democracies that face similar enemies and face similar challenges within our countries as well as regional challenges. I truly believe that there's a lot that India and Israel can do together in trade, defense, energy, and AI. We're looking at a different future and a different world. With the innovation, ingenuity, and human resources in India, combined with the innovation here in Israel, I think we could be an unstoppable partnership," Nahoum said.

The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) is a proposed initiative reshaping global trade, connectivity, and cooperation across three continents.