India Welcomes US-Iran Ceasefire, Avoids Pakistan Reference, Engages In Global Maritime Security Talks

New Delhi: Randhir Jaiswal chose his words carefully when describing India’s reaction to the US-Iran ceasefire. While the MEA spokesperson said India welcomed it, he did not comment when asked on Pakistan’s role to help broker it.

“We welcome the ceasefire and all steps leading towards peace,” he said without mentioning Pakistan. Asked if India would join much of the western world to label Hamas and Hezbollah as ‘terrorist’ organisations, he said “a formal process would first have to be followed.

We have a formal process that must be followed before any organisation can be designated a terrorist. Only after this is done can we look to do so.”

The MEA spokesperson did confirm that India would be joining a 40-nation video conference a few hours later, which would look to restore the freedom of navigation in the world’s main energy chokepoint.

French President Emmanuel Macron had tweeted on X that “France and the United Kingdom will also host this Friday, in Paris, a conference that will bring together by videoconference nonbelligerent countries ready to contribute alongside us to a multilateral and purely defensive mission aimed at restoring freedom of navigation in the strait when security conditions permit.”

The MEA spokesperson added that updates on India’s position would be given post the conference. Coming to the issue of energy, Jaiswal said foreign secretary Vikram Misri visited Washington from April 8-10, where he met with a number of US officials where discussions had taken place on Russian oil and India’s port projects in Chabahar.

He added that he had no information to share about whether the US had agreed to an extension of the sanction waiver (which ended on April 11) on India buying Russian oil.

He also stated that while dialogue was continuing with the various stakeholders, there was no information that he could share on whether the US had extended the sanctions waiver on Chabahar.

The sanctions waiver is scheduled to expire on April 26. Jaiswal was asked about the extradition of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina to Bangladesh.

The oftrepeated demand by Bangladesh was raised again when Bangladesh’s foreign minister, Khalilur Rahman, visited India on April 7. Asked whether India would comply with the Bangladeshi government’s request, Jaiswal said. “The request is being examined as part of ongoing judicial and internal legal processes. We will continue to engage constructively on the issue with all stakeholders.”

The MEA spokesperson did not directly respond to a question, which asked for India’s reaction to a banning of Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League (AL) party.

Bangladesh’s new parliament voted to maintain a ban on the AL through the passage of the Anti-Terrorism (Amendment) Bill which the government framed as a measure to ban a “genocidal organisation.”

While India has not mentioned the AL in its official statements, it has implicitly called for its inclusion when it has called for a “stable, peaceful, progressive, and inclusive democracy in Bangladesh where all political stakeholders can work together.”

The MEA spokesperson also confirmed media reports that India had pulled out of hosting the COP33—the annual UN climate talks in 2028. Prime Minister Modi had announced India’s interest in hosting COP 33 when he was at COP 28 in Dubai in 2023.

India has so far not outlined its decisions for doing so, and the MEA spokesperson did not elaborate either. He said, “There were several issues that were taken into account, but India remains firmly committed to meeting its climate change commitments. We have already met our Paris commitments.”