India in touch with all to ensure energy security: MEA amid West Asia crisis

New Delhi: India has been in touch with all stakeholders to ensure its energy security amid the West Asia conflict, although a consensus on the issue has remained elusive within the BRICS, which it has been chairing since January 1.

Even as the two Indian merchant vessels, ⁠Shivalik and Nanda ⁠Devi, have passed through the Strait of Hormuz safely with over 92000 MT of liquefied petroleum gas, and would reach the ports of Mundra and Kandla on Tuesday and Wednesday, New Delhi asked Tehran for safe passage for other ships carrying not only oil and gas but also other cargo to India.

Randhir Jaiswal, the spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, said that New Delhi was not only in touch with Iran, but also with all the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations, Israel and the United States to ensure the energy security of India.

"India has continuously emphasised that one of its priorities has been the need to ensure unimpeded transit of goods and energy. We have also called for the avoidance of targeting civilian infrastructure, including energy infrastructure, across the region,” Jaiswal told journalists on Saturday. “We believe that these are the priorities of a large part of the global community. Since the impact of the conflict is being felt globally”.

Tehran's envoy to New Delhi, Mohammad Fathali, confirmed that Iran had allowed some vessels of India to sail through the Strait of Hormuz.

“We have remained in touch with all important interlocutors, including all the Gulf Cooperation Council members, Iran, the U.S., and Israel, at various political and diplomatic levels, in an effort to engage with them and underline our priorities, especially concerning our energy security,” the spokesperson of the MEA said.

Close to half of India’s crude oil imports, nearly 2.5 million barrels per day, as well as a sizable share of its liquefied natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas supplies, are typically transported through the Strait of Hormuz.

The security uncertainty around the narrow shipping lane in the Persian Gulf due to the escalating conflict between Iran, on one side, and Israel and the US, on the other, caused disruption in crude oil supply from Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates and liquefied natural gas from Qatar to India.

Tehran has nudged India, which holds the rotating chair of the BRICS now, to get the bloc – seen as a grouping of developing nations and often criticised by President Donald Trump – to condemn the military offensive launched by Israel and the United States on Iran.

“Some members of the BRICS are directly involved in the current situation in the West Asia region, which has impacted forging a consensus on a common BRICS position on the ongoing conflict,” said Jaiswal, adding: “As the chair of BRICS, India has been facilitating discussions among members through the Sherpa channel. The last virtual BRICS Sherpa meeting was held on March 12.”

In addition, Indian leadership has been engaging with leaders of BRICS members in the region. India will continue to engage, said the MEA spokesperson.