Expressing concern over the widening of conflict in West Asia, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday said India has been in regular touch with both Israel and Iran at the highest levels to advocate restraint and enhance communication.

He said the situation in the region is concerning not only in the context of what has happened and what may still come.

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”India unequivocally condemns terrorism and hostage taking. It also regards large scale civilian casualties in military operations to be unacceptable. International humanitarian law cannot be disregarded. In immediate terms, we should all support a ceasefire. India has also extended relief directly and through UNRWA. In the longer term, it is imperative that the future of the Palestinian people be addressed. India favours a two-State solution,” the Minister said at the ”Rome Mediterranean Dialogue 2024” in the Italian capital.

He said that as far as Lebanon is concerned, there is an Indian contingent like Italy, that is part of UNIFIL.

”With regard to the Gulf of Aden and the northern Arabian sea, Indian naval ships have been deployed since last year to protect commercial shipping. Given our capacity to engage various parties, we are always willing to contribute meaningfully to any international diplomatic endeavours,” he added.

On the conflict in Ukraine, he noted that it is well into its third year. The continuation of this conflict has serious destabilising consequences, including for the Mediterranean.

”What is clear is that no solution is going to emerge from the battlefield. India has consistently held the view that disputes in this era cannot be settled by war. There must be a return to dialogue and diplomacy; the sooner the better. This is a widespread sentiment in the world today; especially in the Global South,” he added.

Mr Jaishankar pointed out that since June this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has personally engaged leaders of both Russia and Ukraine to this end. This has included his visiting Moscow and Kyiv.

”Our senior officials remain in continuous touch. We firmly believe that those who have the ability to explore finding common ground must step up to that responsibility,” he added.

Referring to the relevance of India to the Mediterranean, he noted that India’s annual trade with the Mediterranean nations is about $ 80 billion.

”We have a diaspora here of 460,000. About 40% of that is in Italy. Our key interests are in fertilizers, energy, water technology, diamonds, defence and cyber. India has significant projects underway as airports, ports, railway, steel, green hydrogen, phosphates and submarine cables. Our political relations with the Mediterranean are strong and our defence collaboration is growing including more exercises and exchanges,” he added.

On India’s trade with West Asia, he said that with the Gulf alone, it is in the range of $ 160-180 billion annually. The rest of MENA adds about another $ 20 billion. More than nine million Indians live and work in West Asia.

”Whether it is energy, technology, industrial projects or services, we have big stakes. It is also a region to which we are connected in history, culture and security,” the minister added.