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India is engaging with multiple countries to ensure uninterrupted energy supplies amid the ongoing tensions in West Asia, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Monday.
Official Spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, Randhir Jaiswal, said that India is working to ensure energy supply from multiple countries, while asserting that all Indian seafarers in the region remain safe. Addressing an Inter-Ministerial briefing on recent developments in West Asia, Jaiswal said that India is not dependent on a single source of energy. "Regarding energy security, we are working to ensure supply from multiple countries. We are not dependent on a single source," he said. He also reiterated India's position on the conflict, stating, "India has always been advocating for maintaining peace. India still says we should adopt diplomacy and discussion." Jaiswal further said that a list of leaders scheduled to attend the BRICS Foreign Ministers' meeting in Delhi will be shared later. "The BRICS Foreign Ministers' meeting will be held in New Delhi, and we expect representation from all member and partner countries. We will keep you updated on the specific leaders attending. From the beginning, India has been in favour of peace and has welcomed any initiative taken toward that end. We maintain that the path of dialogue and diplomacy should be followed so that peace and stability can be restored in the Gulf region as soon as possible," he said. Jaiswal also said that there is no plan to evacuate Indians from the UAE. "Regarding reports about evacuating Indians from Fujairah port in the UAE, I request you to look at the MEA fact-check. We have already issued a clarification stating there is no basis in fact for such a story, and there is no plan to evacuate Indian nationals from Fujairah or the UAE," he said. Opesh Kumar Sharma, Director of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, said that Indian flagged vessels have paid no taxes while passing the Strait of Hormuz. According to Sharma, all Indian seafarers in the Gulf region are safe, and there has been no incident involving Indian-flagged merchant vessels or Indian crew members aboard foreign-flagged ships in the past three days. He informed that nearly 10 Indian-flagged vessels and one foreign-flagged vessel carrying Indian cargo had safely reached India through the Strait of Hormuz. Sharma also clarified that India had not paid any taxes on these transits. He added that around 13 Indian-flagged ships remain in the region and that authorities are monitoring the welfare and requirements of crew members on a daily basis. "Regarding the payment of taxes, as mentioned before, about ten Indian flag vessels and one foreign-flag vessel carrying Indian cargo have safely exited the Strait of Hormuz. None of them paid any tax. This movement was facilitated through close coordination with the MEA and our embassies. About 13 Indian flagships remain in the region, and all efforts are being made to get them out safely while ensuring the welfare of their crew," he said. The comments come as Iran has asked the US to end its pressure campaign against Tehran. "Our demands are legitimate: an end to the war, the lifting of the blockade, a halt to acts of maritime piracy, and the release of Iranian assets unjustly frozen in banks under US pressure," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said. "Ensuring safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz and establishing security in the region and in Lebanon are among Iran's further demands, proposals that constitute a generous and legitimate framework for regional stability," he added. (ANI)
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