PM Modi and UAE president Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (File photo)
NEW DELHI: PM Narendra Modi spoke to the UAE President, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, for the second time since the war started in the West Asia region on February 28 and reiterated India’s strong condemnation of all attacks on the Gulf country that have resulted in loss of innocent lives and damage to civilian infrastructure. The talks took place amidst reports of fresh attacks on the country’s energy infrastructure by Iranian drones. The PM said in a post on X that the leaders agreed on the importance of ensuring safe and free navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. “We will continue to work together for the early restoration of peace, security and stability in the region,” said Modi, while also conveying Eid greetings to the president. India has a critical energy partnership with the UAE which, according to the Indian government, is the 4th largest source of crude and the 2nd largest source of LNG and LPG for India.
Apart from the safety and security of the Indian diaspora, India’s immediate concern about the conflict is the likely impact on its LPG supplies through the Strait of Hormuz that is effectively blockaded by Iran. As the government said earlier this week, India has chosen dialogue and diplomacy with Tehran to address its concerns instead of entertaining any thought about joining a US-led military coalition to secure the key waterway. The proposal for sending warships has found few takers among US’ NATO allies in any case. Significantly, India is currently also engaged with the UAE, a BRICS partner, for a consensus in the grouping for a joint statement on the West Asia situation. India, which hold BRICS presidency, reiterated Tuesday that an agreement remained elusive for now. “Look, we hold the Presidency of BRICS. It works on consensus. In this conflict, several members are involved and it is difficult to bridge the gap in their positions. But we remain engaged with everyone,” said Randhir Jaiswal, the MEA spokesperson. BRICS includes parties to the conflict like Iran and the UAE, and also Saudi Arabia although Riyadh has not yet fully joined. While Modi has spoken to the Iranian President, Masoud Pezeshkian, India has not yet officially condemned the US-Israel attacks on Iran, the way it has condemned the strikes on Gulf nations. Both Pezeshkian and Iranian foreign minister Seyed Araghchi have conveyed to India that they expect BRICS and other multilateral forums to condemn the attacks on Iran. While India is working with Tehran to secure safe passage for its ships, the government has strongly denied any quid pro quo in the talks. The MEA on record denied Tuesday that Iran had sought the release of 3 vessels in return for allowing Indian ships safe passage. “There has been no discussion between Indian and Iranian authorities of this nature. I would also like to say that in any case, the three vessels that you referred to are not Iranian-owned, nor are there any Iranian crew on these vessels,” said Jaiswal, adding that India remains engaged with Iran for the return of Indian ships.
