Lebanon has formally joined the IMEC Ports Club through the ports of Beirut and Tripoli, giving the country a new institutional foothold in the wider logistics network linked to the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor.

A Lebanese official delegation is in India for meetings aimed at advancing Lebanon’s role in the initiative and exploring opportunities arising from the country’s participation in the ports network.

The delegation was formed at the direction of President Joseph Aoun and in coordination with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam to negotiate Lebanon’s role in the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor, according to a letter issued by the Directorate General of the Presidency of the Republic.

It includes Ogero Chairman and Director General Ahmad Bassam Oweidat; Marwan Naffi, chairman and director general of the temporary committee overseeing the management and operation of the Port of Beirut; Iskandar Badli, chairman of the Tripoli Port Investment Authority; Wissam al-Dhahabi, a member of the Petroleum Administration Board; retired Brig. Gen. Antoine Mansour, an adviser to the president; and Sateh Arnaout, representing the prime minister.

Beirut and Tripoli join ports network

The Lebanese move follows months of efforts to explore ways of connecting the country’s two main ports to the IMEC network.

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam had discussed with French special envoy for IMEC Gerard Mestrallet the possibility of incorporating the ports of Beirut and Tripoli into the corridor, while the Lebanese presidency had expressed its readiness to engage in the initiative in a way that serves Lebanon’s economic and strategic interests.

The efforts culminated in the accession of the two ports to the IMEC Ports Club and the signing of an agreement to that effect in New Delhi.

The ports club brings together ports linked to the corridor to promote cooperation in trade, investment, infrastructure, digitalization, energy and logistics. The Port of Beirut had been invited to participate following cooperation with the Port of Marseille.

President Joseph Aoun described the accession of the ports of Beirut and Tripoli to the IMEC Ports Club as a significant institutional achievement for Lebanon and an opportunity to strengthen partnerships and develop the country’s logistics and trade sectors in line with international standards.

“Every step that places our institutions on a path toward integration and effective engagement is a gain for Lebanon and its economy,” Aoun said. “We will continue to build bridges of cooperation and strengthen our role through the efforts of our people and institutions.”

“What was agreed upon in New Delhi is another practical step that consolidates Lebanon’s presence on the map of regional and international cooperation,” he added.

Seeking a broader logistics role

Lebanon’s accession to the IMEC Ports Club does not mean that the country has been incorporated into IMEC’s core route.

Rather, it gives Beirut and Tripoli a formal place within the broader network of ports and logistics partners associated with the project, while Beirut seeks to turn its geographic position into a greater role in transit and re-export flows between Asia and Europe.

The strategy is also tied to plans to expand the Port of Beirut, develop the Port of Tripoli and reactivate Lebanon’s railway network, all of which could strengthen the country’s position as a logistics and transit hub.

What is IMEC?

The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor, or IMEC, was announced at the Group of 20 summit in New Delhi in 2023.

Its core concept is to integrate maritime transport and rail networks to facilitate the movement of goods between India and Europe through the Gulf and the Middle East, alongside components related to energy, telecommunications and supply chains.

Lebanon is now seeking to position its ports within the wider ecosystem surrounding that corridor rather than becoming part of its core physical route.