PM Modi condemns strikes on Qatar energy infrastructure during talks with Amir Al Thani
On a day the conflict in the West Asia region escalated sharply with Israel striking Iran’s South Pars gas field, and Tehran responding with attacks on energy sites across the Gulf, PM Narendra Modi spoke to the leaders of Qatar, Oman, Jordan, France and Malaysia to underline the urgent need for de-escalation and a return to dialogue and diplomacy.After his talks with the Qatar Amir, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Modi said India stood in solidarity with Qatar and strongly condemned the attacks on the region’s energy infrastructure, while underlining the importance of free navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
Qatar reported rocket and missile attacks on Ras Laffan Industrial City, a critical gas hub that accounts for almost 20 percent of global LNG supplies. Qatar is the largest supplier of LNG to India, accounting for over 40% of India’s global LNG imports. Apart from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the UAE too reported attacks on energy infrastructure.As oil and gas prices soared because of the latest strikes, Modi also said after talks with Jordan’s King Abdullah II that attacks on energy infrastructure in West Asia were condemnable and could lead to avoidable escalation. The PM didn’t name Israel or Iran. “India and Jordan stand in support of unhindered transit of goods and energy,” said the PM in a post on X.The government separately said in a statement that such attacks on energy installations are unacceptable and need to cease. The government recalled that it had previously called for the avoidance of targeting civilian infrastructure, including energy infrastructure, across the region.“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. Such attacks are unacceptable and need to cease,” said MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal.After having spoken to the UAE and Kuwait leaders, Modi Thursday also spoke to Oman Sultan Haitham bin Tariq and reiterated India’s condemnation of the violation of Oman’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and appreciated Oman’s efforts to facilitate the safe return of thousands of people, including Indian nationals.“We agreed on the need to prioritize dialogue and diplomacy for de-escalation and subsequent restoration of peace and stability,” said Modi in a post on X, adding that India and Oman stand for safe and free navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. Oman is another important source of LNG and crude petroleum oil for India.After a conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron, the PM said both leaders would continue their close coordination to advance peace and stability in the region and beyond. Modi also spoke to Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim and stressed the need for urgent de-escalation. External affairs minister S Jaishankar too met the UAE’s minister of state for international cooperation Reem Al Hashimy to discuss developments in the conflict.The MEA said that with the latest attacks, India’s LNG imports, important for piped gas supply, would be impacted. “And it has been impacted because of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. But we are in discussions with several countries. We are in touch with all the stakeholders there to see how best we can secure our energy needs and there can be unimpeded transit for our cargo,” said Jaiswal.However, India’s topmost priority for now remains the release of LPG tankers stuck on the west of Strait of Hormuz because of a lack of clearance from Iran. Government sources said Indian remained engaged diplomatically with Tehran to secure safe passage for the ships, amidst increasing concerns in India about disruption in LPG supplies.
