New Delhi [India], January 18 : India is deeply concerned with the recent attacks on the vessels in the Red Sea as it serves as an important shipping lane for the world including India, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday.
MEA official spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal said that the Indian Navy is assisting to secure the shipping lines to prevent any damage to the ships as India holds importance to freedom of commerce in the region.
"We have made our position very clear. It's a matter of concern for us. we gave a lot of importance to freedom of navigation and freedom of commerce in that region. Whatever is happening there not just impacts us, but impacts economic interest of so many people. That is where we are, we are closely monitoring our position, looking at the unfolding situation with close watch," he said.
While addressing the MEAe weekly briefing, he also mentioned the recent visit of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to Iran last week and said that in conversation with the Iranian side, EAM discussed various regional and global issues including the unfolding situation in the region.
He said, "When the External Affairs minister visited Iran, he made a joint press statement while he was there. This issue of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, the violence there, the destabilising nature of things there was discussed. We are deeply concerned about the whole situation."
He added, "It does impact not just us, but it's an important shipping lane for the world. So we have our own interests which have impacted but the same time we have Indian Navy which is patrolling the area. They are trying to secure the area and do their best so that our economic interests would not be impacted."
Meanwhile, the Indian Navy chief Hari Kumar said on Thursday that the Indian Navy is coordinating with navies of "partners" countries to ensure safe sea passage amid the "resurgence" of piracy attacks.
The Naval Chief said while interacting with media persons on the sidelines of an event at Manekshaw Centre. He asserted that the Indian Navy won't permit any piracy.
Answering the question about the piracy challenge in the Indian Ocean Region, Hari Kumar said: "We have seen that till about last year, piracy had become zero. We have seen a resurgence that is probably because of the disturbance due to drone attacks in the Red Sea. We have taken robust action. We have deployed an adequate number of actions. We are not allowing any piracy will be taken."
Moreover, the United States has announced the designation of Ansarallah, also known as the Houthis, as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist in response to their continuing threats and attacks.
Following the rebels' attacks on ships in the Red Sea, the US started strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen on Wednesday, prompting Washington to relist the group as "specially designated global terrorists."
The Houthi rebels, who are an Iran-aligned group, claimed to have launched the strikes in retaliation for Israel's Gaza conflict.
The Houthis have launched several drone and missile attacks on Israel since it went to war with Hamas in Gaza. However, the majority of these projectiles were intercepted. Israel launched air strikes in Gaza and later rolled out its tanks across the border in response to the Hamas attacks on October 7, last year.
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