France President Emmanuel Macron appoints envoy for Europe-Middle East-India Corridor

The former president of Engie, a gas utility entity, was appointed by French President Emmanuel Macron as a special ambassador to a multinational rail and port project that links South Asia and the Middle East and is seen as a rival to China’s Belt and Road program. Macron wants “France to become a key player in this project” and make sure French companies are best-positioned in the project’s early stages, which is why he named energy sector veteran Gerard Mestrallet, according to a statement released by his office on Monday. The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), which was introduced in September of last year in New Delhi during the G20 Summit, is a component of Washington and Brussels’ strategy to oppose China’s worldwide infrastructure initiative. According to U.S. and European officials, it will facilitate the flow of energy and trade from the Gulf to Europe by reducing shipping delays, costs, and fuel consumption. It seeks to connect Middle Eastern countries via train to India and by port. The European Union, India, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the United States, and other G20 partners signed an IMEC agreement of understanding. According to the MOU, IMEC is planned to be composed of two distinct corridors: an east corridor that connects India to the Gulf and a northern corridor that connects the Gulf with Europe. Participants want to install data and power lines along the train route, as well as a pipeline for the use of hydrogen produced from renewable energy.