PTI
United Nations
India and Liberia on Thursday strongly condemned the recent “unacceptable” attacks on commercial ships and seafarers in the Gulf and the Black Sea, calling for an immediate cessation of such strikes in the interest of peace and stability in the region.
As co-chairs of the Group of Friends on Safety & Security of Shipping & Seafarers (GoF on S4), India and Liberia said the attacks disrupting maritime trade and claiming innocent lives were “indefensible” and called for greater coordination to prevent their recurrence.
The two countries strongly condemned the “string of unacceptable attacks that commercial ships and seafarers have been subjected to in the Gulf and its vicinity, the Black Sea, over the past few days”.
India and Liberia launched GoF on S4 on September 25 on the margins of the high-level UN General Assembly week.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Liberia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Sara Beysolow Nyanti had announced the initiative, asserting that repeated attacks on seafarers that disrupt maritime commerce and cost innocent lives are “unacceptable”.
In a statement issued here Thursday, the Permanent Mission of India to the UN said these actions that disrupt maritime trade and cost innocent lives are indefensible.
“We call for an immediate cessation of such attacks in the interest of peace and stability in the region,” they said.
India and Liberia also extended their deepest condolences to the families of seafarers who have lost their lives and prayed for the early recovery of those injured.
The two countries said they stood ready to support greater coordination to discourage the recurrence of such attacks and safeguard the rights of seafarers.
The statement comes amid a series of attacks on commercial vessels in the region.
On Wednesday, the Ministry of External Affairs condemned attacks on the Togo-flagged Alfa Watan, Palau-flagged Able and Liberia-flagged Aframax Rio in the Black Sea. Seven of the 18 crew members aboard the Able are Indian nationals, and one of them was injured.
Earlier this week, the Panama-flagged commercial vessel MT On Peace was struck by a projectile while transiting the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Oman.
Seventeen of the vessel’s 19 crew members are Indian nationals. Twelve crew members, including 11 Indians, were injured in the incident.
With the assistance of Omani authorities, the injured crew members were evacuated and are receiving medical treatment in Khasab, Oman.
