Cotton Route as a strategy to counter Silk Road

The Delphi Economic Forum XI, to be held in Delphi from April 22 to April 25, 2026, will bring into focus the course of the India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), from its conception to the development of a network of rail, energy and digital infrastructure aimed at strengthening connectivity between Asia, the Middle East and Europe.

The so-called “cotton route,” conceived as a Western alternative to China’s “Belt and Road” initiative, is an undertaking promoted by the Biden administration through the development of infrastructure in the Eastern Mediterranean. Discussions at the Forum will highlight IMEC’s role as an alternative to existing maritime routes, as well as its potential to reduce transit time and costs for goods moving between Asia and Europe. At the same time, key challenges to its implementation will be examined, ranging from financing and technical hurdles to geopolitical instability in the Middle East, which continues to affect the project’s timeline and viability.

Challenges and geopolitical tensions

As the regional environment remains fragile amid tensions between the United States and Iran, implementation risks are intensifying, raising questions over the corridor’s feasibility. Particular emphasis will be placed on the participation of Prince Turki Al-Faisal, founder of the King Faisal Foundation and chairman of the King Faisal Center for Research & Islamic Studies in Saudi Arabia, who is expected to underscore the strategic importance of the region, through which a significant portion of the corridor is set to pass, making it a central geographic and economic pillar of IMEC.

International partnerships and strategic significance

The agreement was signed on September 9, 2023, on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in New Delhi, by India, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Italy, Germany, France, the European Union and the United States. Representing India, Gautam Chikermane, Vice President of the Observer Research Foundation, will address the corridor’s strategic importance for emerging trade and geoeconomic balances in the wider region.

European and Greek dimension

The European dimension of the initiative will be outlined by Francesco Talo, Italy’s Special Envoy for IMEC, focusing on the cooperation frameworks required to advance the project. From the Greek side, Alexis Konstantopoulos, Special Envoy for IMEC at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, will highlight Greece’s role as a transit and logistics hub, emphasizing its geostrategic position, port and transport infrastructure, and the potential to upgrade supply chains and connectivity within the framework of strategic cooperation with India and relations with Central and Eastern European markets.

Brad Staples, Chief Executive Officer of APCO Worldwide in the United States, is expected to address the economic and political implications of IMEC, with a focus on the evolving dynamics shaping international trade and global transport flows.