NEW DELHI: External affairs minister S Jaishankar on Friday raised concerns over repeated attacks on civilian shipping and seafarers at the G20 foreign affairs ministers’ meeting, stressing the urgent need to safeguard freedom of navigation.In a post on X, Jaishankar said the Global South was disproportionately bearing the consequences of attacks in the Middle East, which were threatening the availability and cost of fuel, food and fertilisers.“Global South is disproportionately bearing the consequences of attacks on civilian shipping and seafarers, jeopardising the availability and cost of fuel, food and fertilizers,” Jaishankar said.He stressed the need to protect freedom of navigation and end attacks in accordance with international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).“Urgent need to preserve the freedom of navigation and ensure cessation of attacks within the framework of international law, especially UNCLOS. India and Liberia have launched a joint initiative to safeguard seafarers,” he added.Jaishankar also flagged concerns over restrictions on industrialisation, saying the right to industrialise was being undermined by market flooding, the weaponisation of supply chains, restricted market access and market distortions.“Right to industrialize is being denied through the flooding of markets, weaponizing supply chains, constricting market access and encouraging market distortions. This must cease,” he said.“Tactical calculations should not lead to overlooking the dangers of terrorism. It is a high-risk activity which has come back to bite even the practitioners,” he added.
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This comes as a Panama-flagged oil tanker MT LOUISE 1 carrying 27 Indian seafarers was targeted with limpet mines in the Strait of Hormuz, marking the first known successful use of the explosives against a vessel in the area since the US-Iran war began in February.Union minister for ports, shipping and waterways Sarbananda Sonowal said on Friday that all 29 Indian seafarers aboard two tankers targeted in separate attacks on October 29 and 30 were safe, with no injuries reported.In a post on X, Sonowal said, “On October 29, Liberia-flagged VLCC MT ARZANAH, carrying 2 Indian nationals, and on Oct 30, Panama-flagged crude oil tanker MT LOUISE 1, carrying 27 Indian seafarers, were targeted in projectile attacks in the Strait of Hormuz.”“All 29 Indian seafarers across both vessels are completely safe with no injuries,”he said.
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