The announcement of the India – Middle East – Europe economic corridor on the sidelines of the G20 Summit on Saturday saw the coming together of US President Joe Biden and Saudi Arabian Prime Minister and Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman in presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
#WATCH | G 20 in India: Handshake by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, US President Joe Biden and Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Muhammed Bin Salman, at PGII & India Middle East Europe connectivity corridor launch event, in Delhi pic.twitter.com/YgW22tbcpw— ANI (@ANI) September 9, 2023
US President Joe Biden and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman have not been on good terms since the former was elected as US President in 2020. Biden started his tenure criticising Mohammad Bin Salman, aka MBS, for Saudi Arabia’s human rights records over the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and following the war in Ukraine, Biden saw MBS building closer ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
An attempt at restoring ties between Washington and Riyadh was made when Joe Biden visited Riyadh to meet MBS in July 2022 but Saudi Arabia’s efforts to push the price of oil towards $100 a barrel with backing from Russia continues to threaten the stability of the US-Saudi ties.
Charting a journey of shared aspirations and dreams, the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor promises to be a beacon of cooperation, innovation, and shared progress. As history unfolds, may this corridor be a testament to human endeavour and unity across continents. pic.twitter.com/vYBNo2oa5W— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 9, 2023
The US has been a security guarantor for the nations in the Gulf and West Asia but that position too was threatened by China when it brokered a peace agreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia, emerging as a major player in the region.
Biden does not want Saudi to keep pushing oil prices ahead of an election year and that too when Biden is keen to show that ‘Bidenomics’ is strengthening the US economy.
The US also wants Saudi on its side because it wants to broker a deal normalising relations between Israel and the kingdom and this will also help the US find its footing as a key player in the region at a time when Beijing is exerting its influence.
The handshake in presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the announcement of the India-Middle East-Europe connectivity corridor allows Joe Biden and MBS to take a fresh step to improve Saudi Arabia-US relations.
The project is being led by India, the UAE, the US, Saudi Arabia, European Union Commission, France, Germany and Italy and it allows these nations access to markets in West Asia, South Asia and Europe.
It also checks Chinese presence in low income nations in the region which will benefit from this project and avoid falling into China’s debt traps by being part of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
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