India is yet to take a call on requests from several neighbouring countries for supply of fuel as meeting domestic demand is the top priority, the external affairs ministry said on Wednesday against the backdrop of widespread disruptions in global energy supplies since Israel and the US launched their war against Iran last month.
The Indian side has received requests from Bangladesh, the Maldives and Sri Lanka in recent days for the supply of fuel amid the energy crisis caused by the West Asia conflict. Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have put in place measures to conserve energy, such as shutting down universities, rationing fuel sales and declaring an additional weekly holiday, while authorities in the Maldives recently hiked petrol and diesel prices.
Sujata Sharma, joint secretary in the petroleum ministry, told a media briefing: “Regarding exports to different countries, national interest is the top priority. First, the domestic demand has to be met, and after that, if we have a surplus, a decision can be taken by the appropriate authorities.”
External affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, responding to a question about requests by neighbouring countries to provide fuel, added, “I would like to reiterate that we have received these requests and we are examining those requests, keeping in mind our own requirements and availability. So that is where it is.”
Bangladesh alone sought 5,000 additional tonnes of diesel to be supplied from Numaligarh refinery in Assam as part of efforts to tide over an energy crisis.
Rajesh Kumar Sinha, special secretary in the shipping ministry, told the briefing that Indian-flagged tankers and gas carriers currently located to the west of the Strait of Hormuz are carrying 320,000 metric tonnes of LPG, 200,000 metric tonnes of LNG and 1.67 million metric tonnes of crude oil.
Officials had earlier said that six LPG carriers, an LNG carrier and four crude oil tankers are among the 22 Indian-flagged merchant vessels located to the west of the critical waterway, which is used to transport almost 50% of India’s oil imports. In recent days, two Indian-flagged carriers, Shivalik and Nanda Devi, made their way to Indian ports with 92,712 metric tonnes of LPG after crossing the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday.
Though India remains engaged in discussions with Iran and other countries for the transit of merchant shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, there have been no indications that Iran has permitted more vessels to cross the waterway. “I have no further update to share with you,” Jaiswal said.
The Indian Navy’s warships are present in the area for anti-piracy operations and have been “supporting several of our initiatives”, Jaiswal said without going into details.
The Indian embassy in Iran is helping Indian students and other citizens currently in that country, including assisting them to cross over to Armenia and Azerbaijan through land borders as the Iranian airspace remains closed. More than 700 Indian nationals have moved from Iran to these two countries in recent days. The embassy in Iran has also facilitated the relocation of Indian students from Tehran, Isfahan, Shiraz and other cities to safer locations.
Jaiswal urged Indian nationals in Iran to heed the embassy’s advisory regarding travel via land borders to Armenia and Azerbaijan. In the advisory issued last week, the mission had called on Indian nationals not to approach land border crossings “without prior coordination with the embassy”. The embassy had also warned citizens that it would not be able to help anyone who had exited Iranian territory and was unable to enter a third country.
Aseem Mahajan, additional secretary (Gulf) in the external affairs ministry, said 260,000 passengers had returned from West Asia to India since February 28. While there have been operational closures of airspace in some countries, the overall flight situation has continued to improve, he said.
Airports in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) operated 70 non-scheduled flights on Tuesday and Wednesday, and flights are also operating from Oman and Saudi Arabia. Qatar’s airspace is partially open and Qatar Airways operated five flights to India on Tuesday, and flights to nine Indian destinations from Wednesday. Restrictions remain on the airspace in Kuwait, Bahrain and Iraq, and Indians in these three countries are being helped to cross over to Saudi Arabia to take flights, Mahajan said.
