An Indo-Mediterranean Alliance Takes Shape
The Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security
“Turkey’s alignment with Pakistan isn’t the only factor driving India’s growing interest in the Eastern Mediterranean. Other developments have played a key role, including India’s entry into the I2U2 quadrilateral forum (India, Israel, the UAE, and the United States), launched in October 2021, which held its first leaders’ summit (partially via Zoom) during President Biden’s visit to Israel in July 2022. Another milestone was Indian tycoon Gautam Adani’s purchase of the Haifa port in January 2023. A close ally of the Modi government, Adani’s move signaled deeper Indian investment in the region. Since then, New Delhi has clearly begun to expand its presence through this emerging diplomatic framework, which also includes strengthening ties with Cyprus and Greece—both of which have long-standing territorial and ideological disputes with Turkey. India’s growing footprint in the region is taking shape through military, infrastructure, and economic partnerships, the most ambitious of which is the IMEC vision (India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor), a major initiative aimed at linking India to Europe via the Middle East and Eastern Mediterranean, including Israel.”
“Advancing India’s participation in the Israel–Greece–Cyprus forum—which New Delhi has publicly expressed openness to, even if it did not initiate the move—could significantly expand the power base of the Eastern Mediterranean alignment and serve as a major counterweight to Ankara. Beyond the clear benefits in infrastructure and trade, this initiative is emerging as a strategic step that addresses the shared interests of all involved.”