India's decision to let Iranian ship to dock in Kochi guided by humanitarian principles: Jaishankar
New Delhi (PTI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar confirmed on Saturday that India permitted an Iranian ship to dock in Kochi on humanitarian grounds following a request from the Iranian side on February 28 as the vessel faced some problems.
Permission was given for the vessel to dock on March 1 and the warship, IRIS Lavan, docked in Kochi on March 4. The vessel remains in Kochi, with its 183 crew members currently accommodated at Indian naval facilities.
Speaking at an interactive session at the Raisina Dialogue, Jaishankar also made an indirect reference to the sinking of Iranian warship IRIS Dena off the coast of Sri Lanka on March 4.
"For us, when this ship wanted to come in and that too in difficulties, it was the humane thing to do. We were guided by that principle," he said.
"Of the other ships, one had a similar situation in Sri Lanka and they took the decision which they did. And one unfortunately didn't make it," he said, referring to the sinking of IRIS Dena.
IRIS Dena was returning home after participating in the Milan multilateral naval exercise hosted by India. At least 87 Iranian sailors were killed in the attack on Wednesday.
In his remarks, Jaishankar emphasised that India continues to be net security provider in the Indian Ocean region.
The external affairs minister was joined at the interaction by his counterparts from Sri Lanka, Mauritius and Seychelles.
The ministers underscored the necessity of adhering to international law, specifically the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), when addressing maritime incidents.
Jaishankar also underlined India's priority of ensuring the safety of Indian seafarers and the 10 million Indian nationals living in West Asian countries in view of the crisis in the region.
"Indians are a very large segment of the people who man merchant ships. Every time there is an attack on a tanker or vessels carrying goods, it is very likely that all or part of that vessel is manned by Indians," he said.
Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath, responding to a question on the sinking of IRIS Dena, emphasised the importance of following UNCLOS and international laws.
"Sri Lanka faces so many challenges. We need to strengthen (the) implementation of international laws," he said.
"In this incident we are also following the international laws and we have taken all steps according to the international laws. I think we need not support any party. We took all steps in a humanitarian way," Herath said.
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Rajnath Singh chairs IGoM meet, urges constant vigil over West Asia crisis
New Delhi (PTI): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday emphasised the need for round-the-clock monitoring of the West Asia conflict and called for a calibrated response to deal with any eventuality to ensure that national interests remain protected.
Singh made the comments while chairing a high-level meeting of the Informal Group of Ministers (IGoM) set-up to monitor the situation in West Asia.
The meeting was attended by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, Power Minister Manohar Lal, Chemicals and Fertilizers Minister J P Nadda, Consumer Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi and Minister of Railways, Information and Broadcasting, Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw.
In view of the "uncertain situation", the defence minister underlined the importance of round-the-clock monitoring of the situation and the need to respond in a calibrated manner to deal with any eventuality, an official readout said.
He stressed on the need to leave no stone unturned to ensure that the people of the country face the minimum effect of the conflict, it said.
It was the second meeting of the IGoM after it was set up last month.
The IGoM was apprised of the measures being taken by the government in the wake of the ongoing West Asia conflict, Singh said on social media.
"We also deliberated upon the next steps to be taken by the government to mitigate any adverse impact arising due to the ongoing conflict," he said.
The defence ministry said in the readout said, "In the meeting, the seven empowered groups of secretaries briefed the IGoM on the steps being taken to tackle the situation."
"The IGoM was apprised about measures undertaken by the Ministry of Finance to address concerns arising due to global trade disruptions and provide relief and support to the industry, especially manufacturing, and bolster investor confidence," it said.
It listed measures including notification issued on Wednesday on full customs duty exemption on 40 critical petrochemical products till June 30.
The ministry also mentioned announcement of a special one-time relief measure for eligible units in SEZs to sell manufactured goods in Domestic Tariff Area (DTA) at concessional customs duty rates to be effective from April 1 to March 31.
It also noted another notification issued by the Department of Revenue clarifying that the provisions of GAAR (General Anti Avoidance Rules) will not be invoked in respect of investments made prior to April 1, 2017.
"These measures will reduce cost pressures on downstream sectors including textiles, packaging and pharmaceuticals, facilitate supply stability in the country and provide requisite clarity for investors contemplating investments in India," the readout said.
Defence Minister Singh appreciated the government's decision to impose a 25 per cent cap on the monthly increase in aviation turbine fuel prices for domestic operations, with effect from April 1.
This step will help protect the people from sudden increase in fares, he said.
The government has accorded highest priority to domestic LPG supply, with refinery production enhanced to fully meet consumption requirements, according to the readout.
"The IGoM was informed that there have been no reports of dry-out at LPG distributorships, and delivery of domestic LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) cylinders continues as per the normal schedule. The temporary supply concerns arose due to instances of hoarding and black marketing, which triggered panic buying in certain areas," it said.
The ministers were informed that strict enforcement action is being undertaken, with raids being carried out across multiple states and Union territories to curb hoarding and black marketing of LPG, the ministry said in the readout.
Action has also been taken against some LPG distributors who engaged in malpractices, it said.
"To support migrant labour and low-consumption households, the government is ensuring adequate availability of 5 kg free trade LPG cylinders, and since March 23, over 4.3 lakh such cylinders have been sold. Special focus is being given to states where demand is higher," it said.
The IGoM was apprised that industrial requirements dependent on commercial LPG are being met, with over 80 per cent of pre-crisis supply levels being maintained to ensure continuity of operations.
"Special meetings have been held with ministries and stakeholders of different industries to understand their demand and meet their needs. Oil PSUs are ensuring continued supply of Auto LPG across the country," the readout noted.
"However, some supply constraints are being faced by private operators due to their procurement challenges, which is why lines are being observed at PSU auto LPG pumps. Wherever the autos are dual feed and can use petrol, they are being encouraged to use petrol," it said.
