New Delhi, March 24 (IANS). Prime Minister Narendra Modi will speak in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday about various aspects of the ongoing conflict in West Asia and India’s strategy.
His address in the Rajya Sabha will come at a time when US President Donald Trump on Monday announced a five-day pause on planned military attacks on Iran. Trump says that very good and meaningful talks are going on between Iran and America.
Earlier on Monday, Prime Minister Modi had informed the Lok Sabha about the challenges faced by the country due to the ongoing conflict in West Asia, including the impact on Indians living in the Gulf countries and the business and economic consequences of the crisis.
Prime Minister Modi said, “This conflict has also created unprecedented challenges for India. These challenges are economic, national security and humanitarian. India has extensive trade relations with war-torn countries and countries affected by them.”
Talking about the impact of the conflict on trade, Prime Minister Modi said, “The region where the war is taking place is also an important route for our trade with other countries. In particular, a large part of our crude oil and gas requirements are met from this region.”
He said that West Asia is also important for India, as about 10 million Indians live and work in the Gulf countries.
Talking about the steps taken by the Center to ensure the safety and welfare of Indians affected by the conflict, Prime Minister Modi said, “Since this war started, necessary assistance has been provided to every Indian in the affected countries. I have personally spoken on phone to the heads of state of most of the West Asian countries in two rounds. All of them have assured the complete safety of Indians.”
He said more than 3,75,000 Indians have returned safely to India from West Asian countries, including 1,000 from Iran, and reaffirmed his government’s commitment to provide all possible assistance to the needy.
Earlier on Sunday, Prime Minister Modi chaired the meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), in which the situation in the context of the ongoing conflict in West Asia was reviewed and existing and proposed mitigation measures were discussed.
–IANS
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