New Delhi [India], June 12 (ANI): Rajya Sabha MP and former Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said that any development that would mitigate or end the conflict is welcome.
Shringla, in a conversation with ANI, said that the attack on Indians is a tragic occurrence, and that it is a good thing that India brought this to the attention of the American authorities.
“Yeah, it is a very tragic occurrence, I would say, which led to the loss of three of our lives, three of our citizens in the Strait of Hormuz. But it is a conflict situation, there are risks involved, and I think we’ve done the right thing by bringing this to the attention of the US authorities through a formal demarche,” he said.
He said that India is also concerned about nine million-strong diaspora in the Gulf region, which has been embroiled in the conflict.
“And I think any development that would reduce conflict or end the conflict, open up the Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, allow secure passage of tankers carrying crude, LNG, and LPG out of that area, facilitate trade and commerce, is a good development,” he said.
“We’re also concerned about 9 million of our citizens who are there in the Gulf, Indian seafarers who use this route, Strait of Hormuz, under very adverse and potentially risky circumstances. So this is, from our perspective, it’s a good step. And anything that can bring down prices in our country or reduce the risk of inflation and shortages on account of the West Asia conflict is a good thing,” he added.
Shringla further said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also said that India’s position in the conflict has been that of peace.
“So I think you know our position has always been that we want to see a de-escalation in the conflict, we want to see peace secured through dialogue and diplomacy. And Prime Minister Modi has also spoken to a number of leaders who are involved, who are protagonists in this conflict. He has spoken to President Trump at least twice on this issue,” he said.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) summoned the US Charge d’Affaires, Jason Meeks, to lodge a strong protest against the ongoing attacks on commercial vessels off the coast of Oman.
The diplomatic move follows yet another incident yesterday, where a commercial vessel with 20 Indian crew members on board came under attack in the region. (ANI)
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