Jaishankar raises safety of Indian seafarers with Lavrov after Black Sea attack

Jaishankar and Lavrov, who met on the margins of ASEAN-related meetings in the Philippines capital of Manila, also reviewed bilateral relations

External affairs minister S Jaishankar conveyed India’s concerns over the safety of seafarers in the Black Sea region to his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on Wednesday, three days after four Indian sailors were killed in a Russian attack on a merchant vessel off the coast of Ukraine.

India has backed dialogue and diplomacy to end the conflict triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. (@MID_RF/PTI)

Jaishankar raises seafarers' safety with Lavrov

Jaishankar and Lavrov, who met on the margins of ASEAN-related meetings in the Philippines capital of Manila, also reviewed bilateral relations, including cooperation in trade, energy and connectivity.

The external affairs ministry summoned Russian chargé d’affaires Vladimir Ladanov on Tuesday to convey its “unequivocal condemnation” of the Russian attack on the Guinea Bissau-flagged MV Golden Leo that killed 10 people, including four Indian crew members, and severely injured another Indian seafarer.

“Reiterated our strong concern regarding the safety of Indian seafarers in the region,” Jaishankar said on social media after what he described as an in-depth review of bilateral relations with Lavrov. He did not give details.

“Discussed various aspects of our partnership, including trade & investment, energy & connectivity, science & technology, and mobility. Also exchanged views on the Ukraine conflict and the Gulf situation,” he said.

India condemns attack on merchant vessel

The external affairs ministry had conveyed to the Russian chargé d’affaires “India’s grave concerns and unequivocal condemnation” of the attack on the merchant vessel while it was departing the port of Odesa.

The Indian side emphasised that “such attacks undermine the safety, security, and stability of international maritime commerce”. The Russian side was asked to avoid the targeting of commercial shipping in order to avert the loss of innocent civilian lives.

Attack marks first deaths of Indian seafarers

This was the first instance of Indian seafarers being killed in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. More than half a dozen Indian seafarers have also died in Iranian and US attacks on merchant vessels in the Strait of Hormuz in recent weeks.

India has backed dialogue and diplomacy to end the conflict triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and highlighted the costs imposed on the Global South by the war’s impact on fuel, fertiliser and food supplies. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, has said this is not the era of war and peace talks cannot succeed under the shadow of the gun.