Key Takeaways
- The rail deal aims to link India, the Gulf and Europe, boosting trade and strategic ties.
- US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan highlighted the economic benefits of the connectivity project.
- No firm announcement timeline has been set, despite speculation around the G20 summit.
- The initiative is seen as a move to counter China’s growing influence in the region.
New Delhi: Connectivity from India, across the Middle East, to Europe is incredibly important and will bring significant gains to all the countries involved, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan has said.
Responding to a question on the proposed rail deal and if it will be one of the important deliverables of the G20 leadership summit scheduled in New Delhi, Sullivan said he can’t yet confirm, noting that he had also seen such reports in the media.
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“What I can tell you is this is an initiative that we have invested effort into with our partners. We believe that connectivity from India, across the Middle East, to Europe is incredibly important and will bring a significant number of economic benefits, as well as strategic benefits, to all of the countries involved,”
he said at the press briefing onboard Air Force One en route the G20 Summit in New Delhi.
“But where things land with respect to any potential announcements this weekend, as opposed to down the line, I can’t say tonight,” he added.
There have been media reports that US President Joe Biden along with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and top leaders from UAE and Saudi Arabia can announce a massive infrastructure deal at the G20 leadership summit.
The move is being seen as the US’s attempt to counter China’s influence in the region.
