Expressing concern, India seeks respect for sovereignty & territorial integrity | India News

India is deeply concerned by recent developments in Iran and the Gulf region, the government said, following US-Israeli joint action against Iran and the latter’s retaliatory targeting of Gulf states where Washington has military assets. While seeking the safety of civilians in a region that is home to a nearly 10-million-strong Indian diaspora, the government in its strict balancing act insisted that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states must be protected. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar spoke to his Iranian and Israeli counterparts, Syed Abbas Aragchi and Gideon Sa, respectively, to express deep concern and reiterate India’s call for dialogue and diplomacy to defuse tensions.

India’s response in the form of a Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) statement was carefully calibrated as it said that dialogue and diplomacy should be pursued to defuse tensions and resolve underlying issues. “We urge all parties to exercise restraint, avoid escalation and prioritize safety of civilians,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said, adding that Indian missions across the Gulf region have been in contact with Indian nationals and have issued appropriate advisories to them to remain vigilant and follow local security guidelines. There are about 40 thousand Indian citizens in Israel and between 6 and 10 thousand in Iran.With the United States and Israel reportedly seeking to move toward a regime change in Iran, India was once again forced to tread a diplomatic path, caught between its stable relationship with Iran based on common regional interests and strong signs of improving critical relations with the United States after a period of extreme turmoil. The attack on Iran also came 48 hours after a bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel where the leaders discussed US-Iran tensions and Modi offered, if needed, India’s support for any efforts towards a peaceful resolution. Notably, Modi said in his media remarks during the visit, which took place amid the US-Iran conflict, that peace and security in West Asia is directly linked to India’s security interests. The Gulf region is one of India’s most significant and reliable sources of oil and gas. The diaspora, whose well-being is a top priority for the Indian government, is one of the largest sources of remittances for India. The GCC countries – Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE – together constitute India’s largest trading partner bloc. While India has deepened its strategic partnership with Israel over the past decade, its relationship with the Gulf states has also undergone a complete transformation during this period. In fact, India now has a strategic partnership with 5 of the 6 GCC countries, moving from traditional energy buyer-seller relationships to other domains such as defense and security, investment, connectivity and technology. There will be concern over the potential impact of a full-blown regional war on the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEEC) project, which has already been delayed by instability in West Asia. During his visit to Israel, Modi said that both countries will move forward with new momentum on initiatives like IMEEC and India-Israel-UAE-USA (I2U2) to promote regional connectivity. For India, however, Iran remains an important regional partner, which New Delhi has not relinquished despite President Donald Trump’s renewed campaign of maximum pressure against Iran. In January this year, India joined China, Pakistan and 4 other countries in voting against a UN Human Rights Council resolution that strongly condemned the protests in Iran and extended the mandate of a fact-finding mission to the country. According to Indian authorities, it is in India’s interest to maintain functional relations with Iran, not for strategic reasons. Chabahar port Countries that India has helped develop bypass Pakistan to access Central Asia and Afghanistan. The US muddied the picture last year by deciding to withdraw an embargo waiver for the port expected to take effect in late April.