As a fragile set of ceasefires tentatively holds across Gaza, and the wider shadow conflict between the US/Israel and Iran, a narrow but critical window has opened. The question now is whether the international community can move quickly enough to help translate de-escalation into durable stability.

Next week’s meeting in Brussels of the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution is a unique opportunity for Europe to lead—not only diplomatically, but economically—by prioritizing the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) as a central pillar of regional stabilization.

IMEC, first announced at the 2023 G20 summit, is a proposed network of rail, ports, energy, and digital infrastructure linking India to Europe via the Gulf and the Eastern Mediterranean. While often framed as a trade initiative, IMEC’s deeper strategic value lies in its ability to reduce geopolitical risk—especially in light of growing threats to global shipping chokepoints such as the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb. The recent war has underscored how vulnerable global trade remains to disruption at these narrow maritime passages.

Europe knows from its own history that connectivity can be transformative. After World War II, economic integration—beginning with coal and steel—created the foundations for lasting peace. Today, that same logic can be applied to the Middle East.

Building on the aligned........

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