India in talks with US, Saudi for a railroad-port project: report
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Washington DC: An ambitious infrastructural project involving railroads and ports in the Middle East is currently being discussed by the US, India and Saudi Arabia, Reuters reported.
The news first reported in the American newsletter Axios suggests that the White House is pushing for the intuitive in the region where China’s influence is growing.
The Middle East is the key partner of China’s Belt and Road vision.
Biden administration plans to complete the diplomatic talks before the 2024 campaign in the US takes centre stage.
The White House also wants normalization agreement between Saudi Arabia and Israel as part of fulfilling the deal.
A network of railways will connect Arab countries in the Levant and Gulf alongside linking them to India through sea ports in the Gulf, according to Axios.
The idea came up in a forum called I2U2 involving the US, Israel, the UAE and India during the talks held over the last 18 months.
The forum came into being in 2021 is aimed a discussing strategic infrastructure projects in the Middle East.
It also plans to serve as a counterweight to China’s influence in the region.
Israel suggested the idea for railroads during the I2U2 meetings over the last year.
The project aims to use India's expertise in big infrastructure projects, according to the report.
