India summons Iranian envoy
Having failed thus far to get its oil tanker released from the Iranian authorities over two weeks days after it was detained, India on Tuesday summoned the country’s envoy to South Block and lodged a strong protest with him.
Foreign secretary Sujatha Singh summoned Iranian Ambassador Gholamreza Ansari a second time and demanded the early release of the shipping vessel MV Desh Shanti which was detained by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) on August 12.
External affairs ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said on Tuesday that it was for the second time since MV Desh Shanti was detained that the Iranian envoy was called. The first time was on August 16.
Mr Akbaruddin said the government conveyed its “strong concern” at the continued detention of the ship in port Bandar Abbas. The FS also told the envoy that the Indian government hopes that the ship would be released soon and its crew members would be treated with consideration and courtesy in keeping with international norms.
He further said that officials from both sides will make another effort to resolve this issue amicably.
The Shipping Corporation of India tanker was seized in the Persian Gulf while carrying crude from Basrah in Iraq and was taken to Bandar Abbas port.
The Iranian authorities maintained it was causing environmental pollution to which India had responded by saying they had not been able to produce evidence to back their claims.
Iraq, whose crude was being carried to India by the tanker, has replaced Iran as India’s second largest supplier of oil after Saudi Arabia.
This position was earlier held by Iran.
However, it has slipped from this slot owing to the economic sanctions against it that forced India to cut its crude imports from there.
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