In India’s outreach after energy hubs in West Asia hit, a subtle shift in strategy

INdia on th called for an terminate to attacks on vim substructure crossways West Asia, with the external affairs ministry saying such strikes will impact LNG supplies to the country, even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached out to the leadership of France, Malaysia, Jordan and Oman to discuss efforts to restore peace and stability in the region.Following an Israeli strike on Iran’s South Pars gasfield, Tehran ratcheted up pressure on several West Asian countries by attacking their energy facilities. Among the facilities targeted by Iran was the Ras Laffan liquefied natural gas (LNG) hub in Qatar, a country that accounts for more than 40% of India’s global LNG imports. There were also attacks on energy infrastructure in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), raising concerns for global energy supplies.Modi said on social media after his phone call with Jordan’s King Abdullah II that attacks on “energy infrastructure in West Asia are condemnable and can lead to avoidable escalation”.The Indian side reiterated its call not to target civilian infrastructure, including energy facilities, across the Persian Gulf, and external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said such attacks “are unacceptable and need to cease”. He added that recent attacks on “energy installations in different locations across this region” are deeply disturbing and will only “further destabilise an already uncertain energy scenario”.Jaiswal responded to a question on the fallout of Iran’s attack on the LNG facility in Qatar by saying that it would impact gas supplies to India. “With the latest attacks, our LNG supply is going to be impacted and it has been impacted because of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz,” he said.The Indian side is engaged in discussions with all the stakeholders in the region to secure the country’s energy needs and ensure unimpeded transit of cargo, Jaiswal said.The latest position adopted by the external affairs ministry marked a subtle shift as New Delhi had earlier only condemned Iran’s attacks on civilian infrastructure in several Arab countries such as Oman, Saudi Arabia and the UAE but stopped short of denouncing attacks on Iranian facilities. People familiar with the matter noted that Thursday’s statement referred to “attacks against energy infrastructure in the Gulf region”, and said this was a reference to strikes across the board.Meanwhile, Modi continued his outreach to the leadership of Arab states and other influential global players by discussing the West Asian conflict with Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq, Jordan’s King Abdullah II, French President Emmanuel Macron and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. In all these conversations, Modi emphasised the need for de-escalation as well as dialogue and diplomacy for early restoration of peace, security and stability in West Asia, and sought the unhindered transit of goods and energy, including through the Strait of Hormuz.Following his phone call with Macron, Modi said on social media that the two leaders will continue their “close coordination to advance peace and stability in the region and beyond”. Macron responded in a social media post that India and France are “working closely together to reduce tensions in the region and to keep diplomacy at the heart of our efforts for peace”.Modi also raised the welfare of Indian expatriates during his conversations with the Jordanian King and the Omani Sultan. He appreciated the efforts by both these countries in facilitating the safe return of Indians stranded in the region.During his conversation with the Malaysian PM, Modi reiterated the shared commitment of both sides to de-escalation and early restoration of peace and stability through dialogue and diplomacy. Anwar said on social media that he reiterated “Malaysia’s firm and consistent stance in condemning the bombing and massacre by Israel against Iran, backed by the US”.Anwar also said both sides agreed to call for an immediate cessation of hostilities and to join forces to uphold the voices of peace, diplomacy and dialogue. He added that Malaysia and India must stand together to strengthen their collective voice on all international platforms, including the UN and Brics, at a time when the world is grappling with the fallout of the West Asia crisis, including the impact on food security.Malaysia is a partner country of the Brics grouping, which is currently chaired by India. Iran, also a member of Brics, has called on India to ensure that the grouping plays a “constructive role” in supporting regional security and stability, including condemning the aggression by Israel and the US.When Jaiswal was asked about the role being played by Brics, he acknowledged that there were “issues in developing consensus” on the West Asia conflict because several members of the grouping are directly involved in the situation.While the supply of LPG and LNG continues to be a concern, the Indian government is taking steps to ensure uninterrupted supply of fertilisers for the upcoming agricultural season, people familiar with the matter said. This includes the sourcing of phosphates from Morocco, phosphoric acid from Tunisia and Jordan, diammonium phosphate (DAP) from Russia and Saudi Arabia, and NPK and urea from Russia. India is also looking at Algeria and Indonesia as possible sources, they said.