India will participate in talks with several countries convened by the United Kingdom on reopening transit through the Strait of Hormuz, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday.
“The UK side has invited several countries, which also include India, for talks on the Strait of Hormuz,” the ministry’s spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said during a weekly press briefing. “From our side, the foreign secretary [Vikram Misri] is attending the meeting.”
The United States is not among the countries attending the meeting, which came after President Donald Trump said that securing the waterway is not his country’s responsibility, Al Jazeera reported.
The meeting of foreign ministers is expected to be followed by “working-level meetings” of officials to hammer out details, the news outlet reported.
On Thursday, Jaiswal also said that India is in touch with Iran and other countries in the region to ensure safe and unimpeded transit for its ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
“Though this conversation that we have had over the last several days, we have had six Indian ships which have been able to safely cross the Strait of Hormuz and we continue to be in touch with relevant parties,” Jaiswal added.
Energy supplies to India have been disrupted since the conflict in West Asia broke out. Iran has effectively blocked the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20% of global petroleum liquids supply passes, for most commercial ships.
This has affected LPG supplies in India. The country imports about 60% of its LPG demand, most of it from Gulf countries.
On Wednesday, the price of commercial LPG was increased by Rs 195.5 amid a surge in global energy prices triggered by the conflict. In Delhi, a 19-kg commercial LPG cylinder is now priced at Rs 2,078.5.
The US and Israel launched an attack on Iran on February 28, claiming that Tehran’s actions posed an existential threat to Israel. Washington acts as a guarantor of Israel’s security. Iran has retaliated by striking Israel and US military bases in the region and targeting major cities in Gulf countries.
Israel has been claiming that Iran is close to obtaining a nuclear weapon, which could alter the regional security balance. Tehran has long maintained that its nuclear programme is for civilian purposes.
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