The United Kingdom (UK) has invited 35 countries, including India, for multilateral talks on the reopening of the conflict-hit Strait of Hormuz, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri is representing New Delhi in the meeting, according to MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal.
"The UK side has invited several countries, which also include India, for talks on the Strait of Hormuz. From our side, the Foreign Secretary is attending the meeting this evening," he said. The meeting was underway at the time this report was last updated.
The development comes as countries step up coordination to ensure stability in one of the world’s most vital energy corridors. India, too, is engaging with regional players in the Middle East, including Iran, to keep shipping lanes open, per the official.
"We are in touch with Iran and other countries there to see how best we can get unimpeded transit and safe transit for our ships," Jaiswal said while addressing a press briefing.
He said that the outreach is already yielding results. "Through this conversation that we have had over the last several days, we have had six Indian ships which have been able to safely cross the Strait of Hormuz, and we continue to be in touch with relevant parties," Jaiswal stated, as quoted by news agency ANI.
Iran has been highly selective in imposing its blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, with India being one of the very few nations whose cargo ships, carrying fuel supplies, have been granted passage through the strategic waterway amid the current war in the Middle East.
The MEA, in its press interaction, also dismissed reports of toll-like arrangements with Iran for Indian-flagged ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
The meeting, convened by the UK virtually, is not being attended by the US. This comes after US President Donald Trump made clear that he thinks securing the waterway, closed as a consequence of the ongoing war triggered by US-Israeli strikes on Iran, is not Washington's job.
The leader has also disparaged US' European allies for failing to support the war and renewed his threats to pull his country out of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (Nato).
According to UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, the talks, which would focus on political and diplomatic rather than military means, show "the strength of our international determination" to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
"We have seen Iran hijack an international shipping route to hold the global economy hostage," she said at the start of the meeting, according to the Associated Press. The British foreign minister said "unsustainable" spikes in oil and food prices were "hitting households and businesses in every corner of the world."
