Israel-Gaza conflict challenge to US-backed economic corridor - India minister

FILE PHOTO: India's Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman speaks at the Global Fintech Fest in Mumbai, India, September 5, 2023. REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas/File Photo

Source: X06596

(Reuters) - The Israel-Gaza conflict is a "worrying manifestation" of geopolitical challenges for the U.S.-backed multinational economic corridor, India's finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Wednesday.

In September, global leaders announced a rail and ports deal linking the Middle East and South Asia, as the U.S. seeks to counter China's Belt and Road push on global infrastructure with a new economic corridor.

The proposed corridor will pass through Israel, which has been engaged in a fierce conflict with Hamas in the Gaza strip, in retaliation for the militants' cross-border assault into Israel on Oct. 7.

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"It (the corridor) is not without its geopolitical challenges and the ongoing conflict in Israel and Gaza is a worrying manifestation of these," Sitharaman said during a conference.

This article was produced by Reuters news agency. It has not been edited by Global South World.

By Reuters