India has reiterated its call for an immediate end to the conflict that encompasses the entire Gulf region and has taken a toll on its economy that has strong links to the region and on its people there.
The conflict must be de-escalated immediately and resolved through dialogue and diplomacy, India’s Permanent Representative P Harish said on Thursday at the Security Council’s quarterly open debate on the Middle East.
“India has very high stakes in the safety, security and stability of the Middle East”, he said. “Our political, economic, investment, energy and people-to-people relations with the region are extremely strong”.
With the six countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council alone, India’s annual trade is $180 billion, cumulative Foreign Direct Investment is $31 billion, and remittances are more than $52 billion, he said.
The “safety, security and wellbeing” of the ten million Indians living in those countries “is a core interest and a vital part of our bilateral relationships”, he added.
Another priority area for New Delhi is the safety of its seafarers and shipping, Harish said.
“All attacks on commercial shipping and merchant mariners are legally and morally indefensible”, he said.
“Freedom of navigation, and the safe and unimpeded flow of maritime commerce through international waterways, in accordance with international law, must be upheld”, he said.