(Image source from: sentinelassam.com)

Defence minister Rajnath Singh told that India was firmly in favour of de-escalation regarding the tensions that are prevailing between US and Iran in the Middle East, to his US and Japanese counterparts, Mark Esper and Taro Kono.

Singh has shared India’s “concerns, stakes and interest” in the West Asian region, with Esper and Kono in a telephonic conversation. He has also affirmed that the Indian government has further resolved to expand defence cooperation with the US and Japan.

Briefing Singh about the developments in the region, Esper and has assured that US was also interested in ensuring that situation has not deteriorated further in West Asia. India was concerned about the tensions that were prevailing between the US and Iran after the top Iranian military commander general Qassem Soleimani has been killed and the missile strikes by Iran on the forces led by the US in Iraq.

There have been huge stakes in West Asia by India which will range from supply of energy to an over seven million strong diaspora. According to an official, the ways of securing the energy and the oil lines that are flowing through the Persian gulf and also about the enhancement of the bilateral security cooperation under the framework of the special strategic and global partnership of India-Japan and the measures to be taken for the same have been discussed by Singh and Kono.

“While reviewing the situation in the Middle East, Singh and Kono discussed ways to ensure the security of their energy and oil lines flowing through the Persian gulf. The two ministers also discussed measures to enhance the bilateral security cooperation under the framework of the India-Japan special strategic and global partnership,” an official said.

The two-plus-two dialogue which was held in Washing last month and is the highest-level institutional mechanism between India and the US, had resolved the strengthening of bilateral defence cooperation.

By Shrithika Kushangi