India raised concerns over the attacks on merchant shipping vessels in the Gulf region at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Open Debate on Wednesday.
New Delhi’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, spoke on the topic ‘Maintenance of International Peace and Security: Advancing Political Solutions in the Middle East: Mediation and Dialogue for Lasting Peace’, appealing for dialogue and diplomacy within the region. Harish urged all sides to exercise restraint, avoid escalation, and prioritise the safety of civilians.
The United States had attacked a Palau-flagged vessel MT Settebello, which was carrying 24 Indian crew members, while transiting the Gulf of Oman on Tuesday, killing two Indian sailors while a chief engineer remains missing.
“The intensification of the conflict and its spread to other nations have evoked great anxiety. The mounting destruction and deaths and cessation of normal life and economic activities have deeply impacted India, a proximate neighbour with critical stakes in the security and stability of the region,” said Harish.
He asserted that the safety of the Indian citizens who lived and worked in the Gulf region were of utmost priority to India.
Harish also emphasised the dependency of India’s trade and energy supply chains on the stability in the region and urged for dialogue and diplomacy. He called for freedom of navigation and commerce, avoiding military targeting of commercial shipping, avoiding targeting of the civilian population and infrastructure, and seeking an early end to the conflict.
Harish said New Delhi stressed that the people across West Asia deserved sustained peace and normalcy.
“India stands fully ready to contribute towards realising this goal in order to secure peace, prosperity and well-being of the people of the region and beyond,” he said.
Harish also highlighted emerging global challenges, including economic crises, demographic pressures, terrorism, supply chain disruptions, and risks posed by new technologies. He urged the United Nations to remain agile to address evolving threats to international peace and security.
