India joins 60-nation effort to reopen Strait of Hormuz

NEW DELHI: India on Thursday raised concern over maritime security and energy stability amid the ongoing global tensions in West Asia. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri voiced the country’s concern while participating in a high-level meeting convened by the United Kingdom virtually. More than 60 countries participated in the meeting.

In his remarks at the meeting, Misri noted the importance of the principles of freedom of navigation and unimpeded transit through international waterways. He emphasised the impact of the crisis on India’s energy security and the fact that India remains the only country to have lost mariners in attacks on merchant shipping in the Gulf. He also underlined that the way out of the crisis consisted of de-escalation and a return to the path of diplomacy and dialogue among all concerned parties, according to a statement by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

At the invitation of the UK, India joined the meeting to explore ways to reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz, whose closure has sent oil prices spiralling, the MEA said.

Confirming India’s participation, the MEA’s official spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, had said earlier in the day that the meeting would be attended virtually by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri.

“The UK side has invited several countries, which also include India, for talks on the Strait of Hormuz. From our side, the foreign secretary is attending the meeting this evening,” Jaiswal had said.

“We are in touch with Iran and other countries there to see how best we can get unimpeded transit and safe transit for our ships, which are carrying products including LPG, LNG and other products. Through this conversation that we have had over the last several days, we have had six Indian ships which have been able to safely cross the Strait of Hormuz, and we continue to be in touch with relevant parties,” the spokesperson explained.

The Strait of Hormuz is critical to the world economy because 20% of global energy supplies pass through the narrow waterway, which has been closed by Iran following the attacks on it by Israel and the US. The stakes are even higher for India, because roughly 40% of the oil, 50% of the liquefied natural gas (LNG), and over 80% of the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) that the country imports flow through this route.