New Delhi:
Armenia is ideally positioned to provide India with an alternative sea trade route, especially with Europe, Narek Mkrtchyan, the country's Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, said on Wednesday on the sidelines of the ninth edition of the Raisina Dialogue in the national capital .
“The Armenian government is committed to forming partnerships in major regional and global projects such as the North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), the Black Sea Gulf transport, the transit corridor and the development of the Chabahar port, a joint effort of India and India. Iran,” the minister told ANI on the sidelines of the event.
The Raisina Dialogue is India's flagship conference on geopolitics and geoeconomics, committed to addressing the most challenging issues facing the global community.
The Armenian minister further extended the country's offer of an alternative trade route, saying this was “significant” at a time when many countries, including India, are looking for alternative sea routes to trade with Europe and the West, given the wave of attacks on commercial ships sailing through the Red Sea.
The Houthi attacks on commercial ships on the Red Sea trade routes began in mid-November, with the group linking the disruptions to its demands to end the Israeli offensive in Gaza and deliver aid to the ' besieged Palestinians.
“Armenia is in a strategic position to propose an alternative sea trade route to India, especially with Europe,” Mkrtchyan said.
He also emphasized Armenia's commitment to partnerships in key regional and global projects, including the North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), Black Sea Gulf transport, transit corridor and joint development of Chabahar port with India and Iran.
This proposal is important given the growing interest in alternative sea routes due to safety concerns on traditional routes such as the Red Sea.
The minister also presented a collaboration with India on Artificial Intelligence (AI) through a global coalition where ministers of the two countries can consult and drive investments for AI.
“There is a potential to collaborate on AI for social good, to address sectors such as healthcare, agriculture and environmental conservation planning. We could also potentially establish a global AI innovation platform to facilitate solution sharing and research,” he added.
The bilateral dialogue between India and Armenia is being conducted through the mechanisms of consultations with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technological, Cultural and Educational Cooperation, and periodic high-level interactions, the Foreign Ministry said Matters in an official report. release earlier.
The ninth edition of Raisina Dialogue started on Wednesday and is expected to end on February 23. The event is organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in collaboration with the Observer Research Foundation (ORF), a think tank.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is the chief guest and keynote speaker at the 9th Raisina Dialogue.
Ministers, national security advisors, senior officials and representatives of industry, technology, finance and other sectors from more than 100 countries are participating in this year's event.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by DailyExpertNews staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)