New York [US], October 16 (ANI): India on Thursday (local time) strongly condemned attacks on maritime navigation and commercial shipping amid the wider escalating conflict in West Asia, reiterating that such strikes are "legally and morally indefensible" and calling for the protection of seafarers, including Indian nationals.

India also underlined the international responsibility to safeguard the Bab al-Mandab Strait and the Southern Red Sea amid the conflict in Yemen, involving the Houthis and its internationally recognised government and Saudi Arabia.

Addressing the United Nations Security Council's quarterly open debate on the situation in the Middle East, India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Harish Parvathaneni, reaffirmed New Delhi's commitment to the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Yemen and rejected any interference in its internal affairs.

"We strongly condemn attacks on maritime navigation and on the seafarers, many of whom are Indian citizens. The protection of the Bab al-Mandab Strait and the Southern Red Sea is a shared international responsibility and is a global interest," Parvathaneni said.

Highlighting the growing threat to commercial shipping and merchant mariners, the Indian envoy cited a series of recent attacks on vessels, including the India-flagged MV DP World Cauvery earlier this week, MT Petro Dolphin and MT Valthera last week, and MT On Peace and MT Kazimah III the week before.

"All attacks on commercial shipping and merchant mariners are legally and morally indefensible. Several of these ships have Indian seafarers, and their safety and security is our direct responsibility," Parvathaneni added, while thanking the Omani and UAE authorities for their support in ensuring the safety of Indian seafarers during the attacks.

India called for an immediate de-escalation of hostilities and urged all parties to resolve the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy.

It also stressed that attacks on commercial vessels, seafarers and civilian infrastructure must cease, while freedom of navigation and the safe and unimpeded flow of maritime commerce through international waterways must be upheld in accordance with international law.

"The safety and security of seafarers remains a priority for Government of India and these recurring attacks risk further aggravation of a very volatile situation," the envoy said.

India also expressed deep concern over the escalation of hostilities across the region, strongly condemning repeated attacks on civilian infrastructure, including Saudi airports in recent days, which resulted in the loss of lives, including that of Indian citizen Mohammad Yousef Ali in Riyadh.

Parvathaneni said India stood in complete solidarity with the government and people of Saudi Arabia in defence of the country's sovereignty.

Emphasising India's significant stakes in the stability of West Asia, the envoy highlighted the country's extensive economic, energy, investment and people-to-people ties with the region. India's annual trade with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries alone amounts to USD 180 billion, while cumulative foreign direct investment stands at USD 31 billion and remittances exceed USD 52 billion.

Around 10 million Indians live in GCC countries, contributing to their economies, making their safety, security and well-being a core Indian interest and an important element of New Delhi's bilateral relations with the region.

Against the backdrop of recurring attacks on merchant shipping, Parvathaneni highlighted India's efforts to strengthen international coordination on maritime safety.

He said thatIndia and Liberia had launched a Group of Friends on Safety and Security of Shipping and Seafarers on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly High-Level Week last month, with 23 member states joining the initiative.

Describing the platform as inclusive, voluntary and action-oriented, he said it was aimed at deepening cooperation and developing practical measures to prevent the recurrence of attacks and safeguard seafarers' rights.

The envoy also referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's proposal at the BRICS Summit last month to establish a 'Seafarers Emergency Support Network' to connect maritime authorities and embassies of concerned countries.

The proposed network could facilitate distress alerts, medical assistance, communication with families and evacuation support when required, he said.

Highlighting the global significance of maritime security, Parvathaneni noted that nearly two million seafarers operate the world's merchant fleet and that maritime shipping accounts for four-fifths of global trade.

Turning to the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, the Indian envoy cautioned that the global focus on the crisis affecting merchant shipping and the Strait of Hormuz must not divert attention from the continuing humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian territory.

"Terrorism anywhere has no justification, and India had condemned the attacks of 07 October 2023 unequivocally. Civilians including women and children have borne the heaviest cost of the conflict since," he said.

India reiterated its support for humanitarian relief, dialogue and diplomacy, and a negotiated two-state solution, emphasising the need for coordinated international action to prevent further civilian casualties and destruction of civilian infrastructure.

Parvathaneni said a durable and lasting peace required a two-state solution, noting that support for the approach was growing internationally. He also referred to the reaffirmation by BRICS leaders at the New Delhi Summit last month of their support for the State of Palestine's full membership in the United Nations.

Outlining India's assistance to the Palestinian people, the envoy said New Delhi had extended humanitarian aid during the ongoing conflict, including medicines, medical supplies and other essential relief, alongside development assistance and contributions to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

He also highlighted India's development commitments, including a 200-bed super-speciality hospital, the Palestinian Institute of Diplomacy, a women's empowerment centre, an artificial limb fitment camp and a vocational training institute.

India, he said, continued to support Palestinian capacity-building and human resource development through the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme and Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) scholarships. In August, another 32 Palestinian students, all from Gaza, joined colleges in India under the ICCR scholarship programme.

Parvathaneni further said India had contributed more than USD 52 million cumulatively to UNRWA, describing the agency as having a distinct role in providing essential services, including education and healthcare, to the Palestinian people.

"India believes that a sovereign, independent and viable State of Palestine living side by side in peace with Israel, within secure and recognised borders, is essential to a comprehensive and lasting solution," he said.

On Lebanon, India strongly condemned attacks on United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) peacekeepers, stressing that personnel serving under UN Security Council mandates must not be targeted.

"Their safety and security remains a high priority. The sanctity and inviolability of UN premises must be fully respected," Parvathaneni said, while underlining the importance of preparing for a post-UNIFIL scenario and supporting the Lebanese Armed Forces.

On Syria, India reiterated its support for a Syrian-led and Syrian-owned political process in line with UN Security Council Resolution 2254, emphasising that the country's sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity must remain a priority.

Concluding his address, the Indian envoy stressed the need for lasting peace and stability across the Middle East, saying the people of the region needed normalcy and security.

"The people of the Middle East need normalcy and lasting peace. Peace is not just the absence of war. It is imperative to strengthen stability and security for the people of the region," he said, reaffirming India's commitment to the well-being of the region and a more secure, stable and prosperous world. (ANI)