We wish de-escalation at earliest: MEA spokesperson briefs on India’s stand against US-Iran tensions
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New Delhi, January 9: Ministry of External Affairs Spokesman Raveesh Kumar today said that India is closely monitoring the situation in the wake of US -Iran hostilities. India would like the situation in Gulf region to de-escalate as soon as possible and is talking to important players over the issue.
Raveesh Kumar further said, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has spoken to Foreign Ministers of Iran, UAE, Jordan and Oman in this regard. He said that New Delhi has conveyed to all the stakeholders the importance India attaches to peace in the region.
On evacuating the Indian diaspora from the troubled areas, the Spokesman said, if necessary, it will be done. On the Chabahar Project, he said, the USA has in the past shown understanding of the importance of the project. He said, the project is important for connectivity and providing assistance to Afghanistan.
Weekly Media Briefing by Official Spokesperson (January 9, 2020) https://t.co/V3VnZNemgM
— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) January 9, 2020
“In the past, the US has shown understanding on the importance of Chabahar project. How the whole thing is going to impact is hypothetical, we’ll have to see. But, we do appreciate US exempting Chabahar port from the sanctions,” Kumar added.
The remarks come a day after Iran said it will welcome any peace initiative by India to de-escalate tensions with the US following the killing of Qasem Soleimani. India has longstanding diplomatic relations with both Iran and America. On January 5, foreign minister S Jaishankar spoke to his counterpart in Tehran, Javad Zarif, as well as US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, highlighting India’s concerns.