India denounces strikes on gas hubs
*Discusses West Asia situation
NEW DELHI, Mar 19:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today spoke to French President Emmanuel Macron, Sultan Haitham bin Tariq of Oman and his Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim, and discussed with them the West Asia situation, favouring de-escalation of the conflict in the region and subsequent restoration of peace and stability.
Follow the Daily Excelsior channel on WhatsApp
In his separate telephonic conversations with the three leaders, Modi also stressed the need for safe and free navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
“Spoke with my dear friend, President Emmanuel Macron, on the situation in West Asia and the urgent need for de-escalation, as well as a return to dialogue and diplomacy. We look forward to continuing our close coordination to advance peace and stability in the region and beyond,” Modi said in a post on X.
The PM said he had a “productive conversation” with “my brother Sultan Haitham bin Tariq and conveyed advance Eid greetings to the people of Oman.
“We agreed on the need to prioritize dialogue and diplomacy for de-escalation and subsequent restoration of peace and stability,” Modi said.
He reiterated India’s condemnation of the violation of Oman’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and appreciated its efforts to facilitate the safe return of thousands of people, including Indian nationals.
“India and Oman stand for safe and free navigation through the Strait of Hormuz,” he said.
In his conversation with Ibrahim, Modi conveyed his warm greetings to his Malaysian counterpart and the people of the country on the occasion of the upcoming festival of Hari Raya Aidilfitri.
“We also discussed the deeply concerning situation in West Asia and reaffirmed our shared commitment to de-escalation and the early restoration of peace and stability through dialogue and diplomacy,” he said.
This was Modi’s second conversation with the Sultan of Oman since the United States and Israel attacked Iran on February 28 and the Islamic Republic retaliated by attacking several of its Gulf neighbours.
Modi has also spoken to several other world leaders, including those from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the UAE, Jordan, Israel and Iran, since the conflict began.
Meanwhile, as fresh attacks on West Asian gas hubs triggered global concerns, India on Thursday said the strikes are “unacceptable and need to cease”.
New Delhi described the attacks on the gas infrastructure as “deeply disturbing” and that assaults will only serve to further destabilise an already uncertain energy market globally.
“India had previously called for the avoidance of targeting civilian infrastructure, including energy infrastructure, across the region,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at his weekly media briefing.
“The recent attacks against energy installations in different locations across this region are therefore deeply disturbing and only serve to further destabilise an already uncertain energy scenario for the whole world,” he said.
“Such attacks are unacceptable and need to cease,” Jaiswal said without naming any country.
The fresh attacks resulted in a further spike in global energy prices, with crude oil prices hitting USD 115 a barrel. (PTI)
The post Modi speaks to Macron, Oman’s Sultan, Malaysian PM appeared first on Daily Excelsior.