Driving the news: A financial-sector source active in logistics says, “what is moving around IMEC is highly attractive for investments, to the point that specific instruments involving actors from various countries and backgrounds are already taking shape.” Speaking confidentially and “without revealing more so as not to jeopardise upcoming opportunities,” the source suggests that private-sector interest is converging with geopolitical value of the project.
- This combination could give the connectivity corridor significant momentum, both public and private.
Why it matters: The India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor is emerging as one of the most strategic initiatives of the current geopolitical phase, especially for European countries seeking to diversify supply chains, trade routes, and political alliances.
- This lens, highlighted in [Over]views, helps explain 2025’s moves in Rome: the appointment of Special Envoy Francesco Maria Talò and the launch of a cross-party parliamentary group signal a stepped-up political commitment.
- The unusually high-level diplomatic presence at the group’s inaugural event underscores the international attention it has garnered.
Zoom in: Rachel Rizzo notes: “The future of IMEC […] will be crucial in shaping this partnership’s future. […] Given Prime Minister Meloni’s ambition for Italy to serve as a bridge between Europe and other parts of the world, she has a particular stake in seeing IMEC succeed and flourish.”
The bigger picture: After exiting China’s BRI in 2023, Italy has deepened its ties with India — from the Joint Strategic Action Plan (2024) to industrial initiatives, such as the Aerospace Roadshow. Rizzo argues this partnership could also help shape the EU’s broader strategy as it looks beyond the transatlantic space.
The bottom line: Rome views IMEC not as an infrastructure dossier, but as a strategic multiplier in the wider Mediterranean and Indo-Mediterranean regions — and Italy intends to be fully engaged, matching global interests from geoplitics to business.
