Greek MEP Nikolas Farantouris (S&D) has asked the European Commission whether the India-Middle East-Europe Corridor (IMEC) remains strategically and economically viable following the announcement of a competing rail link between Turkey and Saudi Arabia. In a written parliamentary question submitted on 15 June 2026, Farantouris warned that the rival initiative could undermine the EU-backed connectivity project, which is designed to strengthen trade, energy and transport networks between Europe, the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific.
The question, addressed to the Commission under Rule 144, cites recent official statements by Turkish and Saudi officials about plans to develop a rail link connecting the two countries via Jordan and Syria. Farantouris asks the Commission to assess the participation of EU candidate countries, such as Turkey, in projects competing with EU-supported initiatives. He also requests specific measures to ensure IMEC's implementation and geoeconomic effectiveness, and to support member states investing in the corridor.
Farantouris frames IMEC as a project of high geoeconomic and geopolitical importance for European competitiveness, energy security and trade route diversification. The Commission is expected to reply within approximately six weeks, and its answer will signal the EU's policy direction on connectivity corridors in the region.
The question impacts EU trade and energy security, member states investing in IMEC, candidate countries like Turkey, and the EU's strategic partnerships with the US, India, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.