India is all set to be part of an Eastern Mediterranean power bloc of Greece, Israel and Cyprus in a 3+1 format. The leaders of Greece, Israel and Cyprus in a joint presser, after the 9th Trilateral Summit in Nicosia, announced that they shall invite India in a 3+1 format. These Eastern Mediterranean countries wish to invite India so that they can enhance energy and economic cooperation as well as work together on strategic interests and counterterrorism.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis expressed a keen interest in forming a natural gas export partnership with India. He said India will be invited to the bloc in the trilateral summit, which will take place next year. Gas exploration and transportation was also a major part of the agenda at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with the Greek PM during his first-ever visit to Greece last month.

Strategically crucial, rich in natural gas and riddled with maritime territorial disputes, the Eastern Mediterranean is turning into a hotbed of geopolitical activity and India is making inroads into it. News of India becoming all set to be part of a strategic bloc in the Eastern Mediterranean, directly challenging Turkey in its backyard, is sure to ruffle some feathers in Ankara.

The Eastern Mediterranean Sea has yielded major gas discoveries in the last 15 years, especially off the coast of Israel and Egypt. The Tamar Field off the Israeli coast was the first of a series of large-scale natural gas discoveries in the region. More gas exploration is underway in the exclusive economic zone of Cyprus. But here is where things get tricky.

Natural gas can flow both ways to Europe and India through pipelines and shipments. Moreover, with Israel’s warm ties with the UAE since the Abrahamic Accord, and another Abrahamic Accord with Saudi Arabia on the cards, a road from Greece to India opens up through Israel and the Arabian peninsula providing a safe and stable trade route.

This is the beginning of a grand geopolitical idea taking shape. It will not only open up game-changing economic opportunities but also cement a strategic partnership akin to the Quad and the I2U2.

It also strengthens the Greece-Cyprus-Israel trilateral against Turkey in the region. Turkey’s hostility towards India has already pushed New Delhi closer to Greece, Cyprus, Israel and Armenia. So, not only is there economic potential in such a grouping, but also strategic like-mindedness, which can go a long way to combat terrorism, and extremism and cement peace in the region. Another takeaway from this is that nations do not want to miss out on India’s growth story, knowing the sheer market size and growth projections of India’s economy.

Source: News 18 (India)