New Delhi, Mar 11 (PTI) Amid the widening military conflict in West Asia, the Indian government on Wednesday said the welfare of about one crore Indian diaspora in the Gulf region is its utmost priority.
Two Indians were killed, and one went missing when the merchant vessel they were on board came under attack during the West Asia crisis, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at a news briefing on Wednesday.
“The welfare of a diaspora is of utmost priority, high priority and importance to us,” he said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spoken to several leaders in the region, including leaders from the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan and Israel, while External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has also been in regular touch with his counterparts in these countries, as also Iran.
“We remain committed to the welfare of our citizens, our nationals who reside in the GCC and the West Asian countries. All our missions in the region are in regular touch with our community members. They issued advisories and regularly updating them,” he said.
He said two Indians have died and one remains missing in incidents involving merchant ships.
“Few (other) Indians who suffer, who have suffered injuries in the GCC region, are being looked after. They are being treated, and our embassy and our consulate are in close touch with them to ensure their well-being,” he said, adding that one Indian was injured in Israel and another in Dubai.
He said the Ministry of External Affairs is closely monitoring the situation involving Indian nationals in the region and that Indian missions are working to ensure the safety and welfare of the diaspora.
India has about one crore citizens living in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, and their safety remains a priority, he said.
Indian missions have issued regular advisories to nationals in the region, while ambassadors and consuls general are engaging with community members to ensure their safety. Missions have also helped stranded Indians, including tourists and transit passengers, return home through commercial flights from cities like Muscat, Riyadh and Jeddah.
The ministry has set up a control room to assist Indian nationals.
About 9,000 Indian nationals are currently in Iran, with the Indian mission maintaining close contact with the community. Indian students and pilgrims have been relocated to safer cities outside Tehran, and assistance is being provided for land border crossings into Armenia and Azerbaijan so that they can take commercial flights back to India.
Citizens have been advised to follow the official social media accounts of the Ministry of External Affairs and Indian missions for updates, he added. PTI ANZ BAL BAL BAL
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.