Global oil and gas supply chains severely disrupted due to the 40-day-long conflict in the Middle East, India has launched a special diplomatic initiative as the two-week ceasefire allows some relief.
The diplomatic initiative is focused on the resumption of oil and gas imports. India has already established direct diplomatic contact with key oil and natural gas-producing countries in the middle east - specifically Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.
As part of this special initiative, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met the UAE President Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed, in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.
Later, in a post on social media platform X, he said: "It was a distinct honor to meet with the President of the UAE, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, in Abu Dhabi today. I conveyed warm greetings on behalf of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and expressed my gratitude for the efforts undertaken to ensure the safety and security of the Indian community during the West Asia conflict. I also thanked him for his guidance on further strengthening our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership."
The UAE is India's trusted strategic partner in the middle east, from which substantial quantities of crude oil and natural gas are imported. Bilateral trade between the two nations reached $100 billion in 2024-25.
In January, both countries set an ambitious target to double their bilateral trade to US$ 200 billion by 2032.
Earlier, Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Puri had visited Qatar.
The Ministry of Petroleum said: "During the Petroleum Minister's visit, Qatar's Minister of State for Energy Affairs, Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, reaffirmed Qatar's commitment to remaining a reliable energy supplier and expressed his country's desire to continue and further strengthen energy ties and cooperation with India."
India imports approximately 50 per cent of its LNG requirements from the international market. Of this, about 40 per cent is sourced from Qatar.
Amid the conflict in the Middle East, Iran launched missile attacks on several major natural gas plants in the region, necessitating a halt in production at those facilities.
India's LNG supply has been severely disrupted due to the Qatar government's decision to shut down major natural gas production plants in the country, as well as the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz shipping route.
The Ministry said: "Both ministers emphasized the importance of resolving disruptions in the global energy supply as soon as possible and restoring normalcy. In this context, they underscored the necessity of unimpeded shipping and global trade flows to sustain global supply chains."
