Trust and Geopolitics in the IMEC Context: A Model of Economic and Geopolitical Trust for the Mediterranean and Beyond

This chapter analyses the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) as a strategic model of economic and geopolitical trust, offering an opportunity to increase international cooperation. Building on interdisciplinary methods, the study explores how trust—understood as both a structural mechanism and a diplomatic currency—shapes the governance of transregional connectivity. IMEC emerges as a multila- teral platform enhancing transparency, institutional coordination, and sustainable development, thereby redefining Euro-Mediterranean and Indo-Mediterranean relations. The chapter examines the corridor’s geopolitical relevance in the bro- ader context of global infrastructure competition, comparing IMEC to the Chinese-led Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). It explores how IMEC promotes balanced interdependence through polycentric governance and inclusive financing models, resisting hegemonic dynamics. Key attention is given to the strategic role of Mediterranean ports such as Trieste and Haifa in reinforcing North-South and South-South economic integration, while reducing dependency on geopolitically vulnerable chokepoints. The chapter also analyses the technological and normative dimensions of trust-building, focusing on science diplomacy, digital infrastructure, and the deployment of AI and blockchain to enhance institutional resilience. Finally, it addresses the challenges and limits of IMEC’s governance model, highlighting the need for adaptive, inclusive mechanisms capable of mitigating regional tensions and fostering long-term cooperation. IMEC is thus proposed not only as a logistical corridor but as an evolving framework for transregional trust, capable of reshaping connectivity patterns and offering a sustainable alternative to unilateral development models.