Washington | US President Joe Biden and his counterpart from the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed discussed the progress of the landmark India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) and underscored its potential to usher in a "new era of international connectivity".

The ambitious project was launched at the 2023 G20 Leaders' Summit in New Delhi, together with the leaders of India, Saudi Arabia, France, Germany, Italy, and the European Union. When complete, it would connect India by ship-to-rail connections through the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel, and Europe through Greece.

At the meeting held at the White House on Monday, Biden and Zayed reaffirmed that the corridor will generate economic growth, increase efficiencies, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and enable the transformative integration of Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, according to a joint statement.

The two leaders underscored that the transformative partnership had the potential to usher in a "new era of international connectivity" to facilitate global trade and clean energy distribution, expand reliable access to electricity, and strengthen telecommunication.

According to the statement, they emphasised the importance of joint initiatives to promote a circular economy and advance sustainable practices, underscoring their commitment to innovation for resource efficiency and environmentally responsible growth.

Earlier, welcoming Zayed to the White House, Biden said UAE is a nation of trailblazers which always looking to the future and making big bets. “That's something our countries have in common, and our people have in common. In fact, it's a cornerstone of our growing cooperation in AI, in clean energy, in space, and investing in infrastructure to connect regions," he said.

Biden also announced plans to make UAE a major defence partner of the United States, which is the only other country after India to get this status.