Red Sea Threats A Matter Of Concern Says India
NEW DELHI (ANI) – Amid the ongoing escalations in the Red Sea, India said on February 1 that it is a matter of concern for India.
The official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, Randhir Jaiswal said, “It is a matter of concern. We want to address maritime security, we want to address freedom of navigation, as to how we can secure these lanes.”
Amid maritime security challenges including in the Red Sea, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had earlier spoken about the “perceptible increase in threats” to the safety of maritime commercial traffic in an important part of the Indian Ocean and said there have been some attacks in the “vicinity of India”.
He said threats to maritime commercial traffic also have a bearing on India’s
There have been attacks on cargo ships in the Indian Ocean region.
The vessels that came under attack included the India-bound MV Chem Pluto, which was carrying 21 Indians onboard. The vessel was later escorted by Indian Coast Guard Ship Vikram to the Mumbai coast.
Jaiswal spoke of the role of the Indian Navy saying, “The Indian Navy is active in the Gulf of Aden, in the Arabian Sea, and they have been providing support… to several vessels, not just Indian, but of other nations as well, and of course, supporting Indian sailors on them, which has been widely reported and widely appreciated.”
Pradeep Srivastava
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The Red Sea threats are a matter of concern to all the countries of the world because we all live in a global village and rely on global trade in a global economy. A global initiative is warranted to address this serious issue.
India seems to have realized the global significance of this issue, according to one of the latest articles on this topic, “ Want to address freedom of navigation in Red Sea region, says MEA” published in indianewsnetwork.com on February 2, 2024. The following are relevant excerpts.
“ India wants to address freedom of navigation in the Red Sea region and has been in touch with several other countries on this matter, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday (February 1 2024).
“It’s a matter of concern for not just us, but several international players. We have been discussing this matter with our interlocutors, the United States; France, French President was here; with Iran when our External Affairs Minister travelled there; also with President of UAE when he was here,” MEA Official Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at the weekly media briefing.
He was responding to a question on whether India would align with international forces in containing the Houthi militants in the Red Sea. “We want to address freedom of navigation and as to how we can secure these lanes,” Jaiswal added.
He also pointed out that the Indian Navy is active in this area, in the Gulf of Aden, and in the Arabian Sea. “They have been providing support and succour to several vessels, not just Indians, but of other nations as well; and of course, supporting Indian sailors on them, which has been widely reported and also widely appreciated,” Jaiswal stated.
Responding to another question, the MEA Official Spokesperson said India was not part of any multilateral platform or organization. “However, we are keeping an eye on the situation there. There is a situation there today, which may change tomorrow. So, this is our perspective on this matter,” he explained.
The Red Sea and Arabian Sea regions have seen several attacks on shipping lines in the past few months amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict. The Indian Navy has deployed its assets in the region to provide protection to and respond to attacks on shipping lines….”
February 2, 2024