New Delhi: At the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting, the Ministry of External Affairs reaffirmed India’s position on the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, emphasising the need for “dialogue and diplomacy” to ease tensions. Although the China-led SCO bloc had earlier issued a strong condemnation of Israel’s strikes on Iranian targets, India chose to stick to its independent stance on the issue.
“India’s position on the matter had been articulated by on June 13 and remains the same. We urge that channels of dialogue and diplomacy be utilised to work towards de-escalation, and it is essential that the international community undertake endeavours in that direction,” the ministry’s statement said.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held separate conversations with his Israeli and Iranian counterparts on Friday, where he conveyed the global community’s “deep concern” over the growing tensions in the Middle East. According to an official statement, Jaishankar “also urged the avoidance of any escalatory steps and an early return to diplomacy.” India’s position, the statement added, was also shared with member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).
“Keeping that in mind, India did not participate in the discussions on the above-mentioned SCO statement,” the government noted.
Earlier, the SCO had issued a strongly worded statement accusing Israel of targeting both civilian and nuclear facilities in Iran, which reportedly led to civilian casualties. “This seriously violated the principles of international law and the U.N. Charter, undermined Iran’s sovereignty, undermined regional and international security, and had a serious impact on global peace and stability,” it said.
The SCO includes 10 member countries: China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Belarus.
