New Delhi, Oct 7 (IANS) India on Wednesday condemned attacks targeting commercial vessels in the Black Sea region and reiterated its call for dialogue and diplomacy to de-escalate tensions and enable an early return of peace in the region.
Addressing a bi-weekly media briefing in New Delhi on Wednesday, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that attacks targeting commercial vessels threaten commercial shipping and endanger the lives of the seafaring community.
“We have seen a string of attacks targeting commercial vessels in the Black Sea region in the last one or two days. We condemn such attacks that threaten commercial shipping and endanger lives of our seafaring community. First, the commercial vessel MV Royad Mammadov came under attack while it was flying in the Black Sea. There were three Indian nationals onboard. All of them are safe, but one of them got injured, and he is receiving treatment. We thank the Romanian authorities who lent us a helping hand and have been very helpful in this particular incident,” said Jaiswal.
He mentioned that Togo-flagged Alfa Watan came under attack on Tuesday and the fate of its crew is not known yet. Seven Indian nationals were rescued after the Palau-flagged MV Able came under a drone attack with one of them undergoing treatment for injuries.
“The second ship that came under attack was Alfa Watan, this is a Togo-flagged ship. It came under attack yesterday, and the fate of its crew is unknown at this point. Another vessel, the Palau-flagged MV Able, came under a drone attack, but fortunately all 18 crew members, which include seven Indian nationals, have been rescued. One Indian national has been injured, and he is receiving medical assistance and supervision. We thank the Bulgarian authorities for their timely help. Our Mission in Bulgaria is offering all possible assistance to our seafarers.
“The fourth ship, it came under attack, this is a Liberian-flagged oil tanker, Aframax Rio. All the crew members are Indian nationals. All the 23 crew members onboard this particular ship were Indian nationals, and all of them have been rescued. We once again our call for dialogue and diplomacy to de-escalate tensions and enable early return of peace to the region. The targeting of commercial shipping, seafarers in the region must end, and free and unimpeded navigation through the international waterways must be restored at the earliest,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Indian Embassy in Romania said that a representative of the Embassy met three Indian nationals rescued from the commercial vessel M V Royad Mammadov on Tuesday.
The official assured the Indian nationals of all necessary assistance and support for their safe and early departure from Romania, and essential items, including mobile phones, were facilitated through the shipping company’s local agent.
“The Embassy representative today visited the three Indian nationals rescued yesterday from MV Royad Mammadov in the Black Sea. Two are presently accommodated at a hotel, while the third person is undergoing treatment at the County Hospital in Constanța. All three are in stable condition,” the Indian Embassy in Romania posted on X in the early hours of Wednesday, India time.
“The Embassy assured them of all necessary assistance and support for their safe and early departure from Romania. Essential items, including mobile phones, were facilitated through the shipping company’s local agent, while Indian food was arranged through a local Indian restaurant,’ it added.
–IANS
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