Overview
- At the United Nations General Assembly on Saturday, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar condemned recent lethal attacks on commercial vessels and seafarers and called such assaults “simply indefensible.”
- India and Liberia launched the Group of Friends on Safety and Security of Shipping and Seafarers at the inaugural meeting to coordinate states and shipowners for deterrence, assistance and faster responses.
- Jaishankar recalled Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Seafarers Emergency Support Network proposal to link maritime authorities and embassies for distress alerts, medical help, family communications and evacuations.
- He warned that attacks such as the recent strikes on MV Cape Dao, El Gaia, MV Omorfi and MV Golden Leo have killed or left Indian crew missing, underscoring human cost and the need for accountability for state‑linked cross‑border terrorism.
- On the UN sidelines Jaishankar met Russia’s Sergey Lavrov and Iran’s Seyed Abbas Araghchi, co‑chaired an event on AI and maritime security, and signalled India will balance energy ties and diplomatic outreach after President Donald Trump’s new sanctions law affecting Russia and Iran.