India calls for dialogue to restore peace in West Asia; safety of Indians top priority, says Jaishankar

India on Monday called for immediate deescalation of tensions in West Asia and urged all sides to return to dialogue and diplomacy to resolve the ongoing conflict with the government emphasising that the safety of Indian nationals in the region remains its top priority reported news agency PTIMaking a suo motu statement in Parliament External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said New Delhi is closely monitoring developments in the conflicthit region while prioritising the protection of Indian citizens along with safeguarding the countryrsquos energy security and trade interests reported PTIIndia urges dialogue and deescalation in West AsiaJaishankar said India continues to advocate restraint and diplomatic engagement to resolve the conflict and reduce tensions in the regionldquoIndia is in favour of peace and urges a return to dialogue and diplomacy We advocate deescalation restraint and ensuring the safety of civiliansrdquo the minister said while addressing both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha reported PTIHe emphasised that India supports maintaining the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries in the regionThe conflict escalated after the United States and Israel launched a major military strike on Iran on February 28 which reportedly resulted in the death of Iranrsquos Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei The war has since caused significant casualties across the region with officials reporting over a thousand deaths in Iran and additional fatalities in Lebanon and IsraelSafety of Indian nationals remains governmentrsquos priorityThe external affairs minister told Parliament that ensuring the safety and wellbeing of the Indian community in the region remains the governmentrsquos foremost concernldquoThe wellbeing and security of the Indian community in the region is our priority Our national interests including energy security and trade will always be paramountrdquo Jaishankar said reported PTIAccording to government estimates nearly one crore Indians live and work in various West Asian countries The region is also crucial for Indiarsquos energy imports and trade with commerce valued at nearly USD 200 billion annually reported PTIJaishankar informed lawmakers that the government has already evacuated around 67000 Indian nationals stranded in the conflict zonePM Modi closely monitoring the evolving situationJaishankar also said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been closely monitoring the rapidly evolving developments in West AsiaHe noted that the prime minister has spoken with several leaders from countries in the region and received assurances that the safety of Indian citizens would be prioritised reported PTIldquoI have similarly been in close touch with my counterparts in these countriesrdquo Jaishankar said adding that India has maintained regular diplomatic communication with the United States reported PTIHe also confirmed that he had spoken to Iranrsquos Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on February 28 and March 5 to discuss the situationIranian ship allowed to dock on humanitarian groundsAddressing concerns raised by some lawmakers Jaishankar defended the decision to allow an Iranian vessel to dock at an Indian portHe said Iran had requested permission for three ships to dock in India on February 28 and the government granted approval on March 1The vessel identified as IRIS LAVAN docked at Kochi on March 4 with its crew currently stationed at Indian naval facilitiesldquoWe believe this was the right thing to do on humanitarian groundsrdquo Jaishankar said noting that Iranrsquos foreign minister had expressed appreciation for the gesture reported PTISteps taken to protect Indian interests and seafarersThe minister also informed Parliament that the Ministry of External Affairs has established a dedicated control room to monitor the situation and respond to requests from Indian citizens in the regionIndian embassies in West Asian countries have issued regular advisories urging citizens to avoid nonessential travel to Iran and to stay in contact with diplomatic missionsJaishankar further noted that attacks on merchant shipping in the region have affected Indian seafarers with some casualties reported and one Indian mariner still missingTo address such risks the Directorate General of Shipping has formed a quick response team to assist Indian seafarers and coordinate emergency measuresOpposition protests disrupt Parliament proceedingsMeanwhile the ministerrsquos statement triggered protests from opposition parties in both Houses of ParliamentOpposition MPs demanded a full discussion on the West Asia conflict before the statement was made While opposition members staged a walkout in the Rajya Sabha protests in the Lok Sabha led to noisy scenes and forced the House to be adjourned temporarilyDespite the disruptions Jaishankar reiterated that India would continue diplomatic engagement and closely track developments to protect its citizens and national interestsWith inputs from PTI