Armenia ideally positioned to offer India alternative sea trade  route, especially with Europe - Armenian minister 

ArmInfo. Armenia is ideally positioned to offer India an alternative sea trade route, especially  with Europe, Narek Mkrtchyan, the country's minister for Labor and Social Affairs, said on the sidelines of the ninth edition of the Raisina Dialogue in the national capital on Wednesday.

"The Armenian government is committed to forming partnerships in  major regional and global projects like the North-South Transport  Corridor (INSTC), the Gulf Black Sea transport, and the transit  corridor and the Chabahar port development, which is a collaborative  effort between India and Iran," the minister told ANI on the  sidelines of the event.

The Raisina Dialogue is India's flagship conference on geopolitics  and geoeconomics, committed to addressing the most challenging issues  facing the global community.

Further expanding on the country's offer of an alternative route for  commerce, the Armenian minister said it was 'significant' at a time  when many nations, including India, are looking for alternative sea  routes to trade with Europe and the West, given the spate of attacks  on commercial vessels passing through the Red Sea.

The Houthi attacks on commercial vessels on Red Sea trade routes  started in mid-November, with the group linking the disruptions to  its demand for an end to Israel's offensive in Gaza and the delivery  of aid to Palestinians 'under siege'.

"Armenia holds a strategic position to propose to India an  alternative sea trade route, particularly with Europe," Mkrtchyan  said.

He also stressed Armenia's commitment to partnerships in significant  regional and global projects, including the North-South Transport  Corridor (INSTC), the Gulf Black Sea transport, the transit corridor,  and the collaborative development of the Chabahar port with India and  Iran.

This proposal is significant amid the growing interest in alternative  sea routes due to security concerns in traditional routes like those  on the Red Sea.

The minister also pitched a collaboration with India on Artificial  Intelligence (AI) through a global coalition where ministers of the  two countries can consult and trigger investments for AI.

"There is a potential to collaborate on AI for social good to address  sectors like healthcare, agriculture, and environmental conservation  planning. We could also potentially establish a global AI innovation  platform to facilitate the sharing of Solutions and Research," he  added.

Bilateral dialogue between India and Armenia is conducted through the  mechanisms of Foreign Office Consultations and Inter-Governmental  Commission on trade, economic, scientific and technological, Cultural  and Educational Cooperation, and periodic high-level interactions,  the Ministry of External Affairs stated in an official release  earlier.

The ninth edition of Raisina Dialogue began on Wednesday and is  scheduled to conclude on February 23. The event is organised by the  Ministry of External Affairs in collaboration with the Observer  Research Foundation (ORF), a think tank.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is the chief guest and  keynote speaker at the 9th Raisina Dialogue.

Ministers, National Security Advisors, senior officials and  representatives of industry, technology, finance and other sectors  from more than 100 nations are participating in the event this year.