Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the G-7 summit in Evian city of France on Tuesday. During this, he strongly raised the issue of tension in West Asia and insecurity of sea routes. Addressing the G-7 leaders, he expressed concern over the tragic death of Indian sailors in the recent US military attack. The special thing is that when Modi was addressing the leaders, US President Donald Trump was also present there and was sitting next to him. PM expressed concern to Trump over the recent deaths of Indian sailors.
PM Modi said in his address, ‘We welcome the progress of peace efforts in West Asia. Due to this conflict there has been loss of life and property in our friendly countries in the region. The disruption in maritime trade passing through the Strait of Hormuz has had a negative impact on the global economy.
‘Many Indian citizens also lost their lives’
He further said that many Indian citizens have also lost their lives. The safety of seafarers, who connect countries with global trade, is our responsibility. He said that we have to ensure that sea lanes remain safe and sailors can do their work without any fear.
3 sailors died in American attack
This statement of Modi has come after the recent incident in the Gulf of Oman. US forces attacked the Palau-flagged oil tanker Settebello, killing three Indian nationals. According to reports, the ship had a 28-member crew, which included 24 Indians, 2 Pakistanis, 1 Ukrainian and 1 Russian.
Allegation of violation of blockade
The US Army stopped and attacked it on charges of violating the US blockade while carrying oil from Iran. The US alleged that the tanker was carrying oil from Iran and was violating the American blockade, after which it was stopped and targeted.
PM underlined the human and economic loss
Settebello is the third merchant ship with Indian crew involved in regional maritime incidents in recent times. The Strait of Hormuz is a vital maritime chokepoint carrying the bulk of global energy and commercial cargo, connecting the Persian Gulf to international waters. PM Modi underlined the humanitarian and economic loss in Hormuz in front of G7 leaders. Advocating the security of international maritime trade routes, he said that the safety of seafarers should be a part of global partnership. Amidst the West Asia tension, both energy security and maritime trade are important for India, because a large part of India’s oil imports are through this route.
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