FM: Middle East tensions spark trade fears in India

The situation in the Middle East is becoming increasingly tense, sparking concerns in India over potential trade disruptions, Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar has warned.

Speaking at the 22nd Doha Forum in the Qatari capital, Jaishankar highlighted the growing regional instability stemming from recent events in Syria, Gaza, Lebanon, and the wider region, Caliber.Az reports per Russian media.

According to Jaishankar, the situation is having a tangible effect on India.

“The events happening in Syria, across the region, in Gaza and Lebanon are creating a situation of significant regional instability, which is worsening month by month. And as a country on the other side of Asia, we feel the impact of this. We are seeing it through rising shipping costs and disruptions to trade,” he said.

The Foreign Minister underscored that the current developments in the Middle East are a significant source of concern for India because the region is not too far away geographically.

Notably, the Doha Forum is an international conference held in Doha on December 7–8, with a focus on international security, energy transition, and sustainable economic development. Attending the opening session was Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

Additionally, on the sidelines of the forum, an Astana-format meeting on Syria is expected to take place, featuring discussions with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, as well as Iranian and Turkish counterparts Abbas Araghchi and Hakan Fidan, respectively.

The forum provides a platform for addressing some of the Middle East's most pressing security and economic challenges amid a period of heightened uncertainty.

By Aghakazim Guliyev