Jaishankar defends decision to allow Iranian warship in Kochi

New Delhi: External Affairs Minister Jaishankar on Saturday said India allowed an Iranian naval vessel to dock in Kochi on humanitarian grounds after Tehran sought assistance on February 28 when the ship encountered difficulties.

Permission was granted on March 1 for the vessel to berth, and the warship IRIS Lavan docked at Kochi on March 4, reported PTI. The ship continues to remain in Kochi, with its 183 crew members currently accommodated at Indian naval facilities.

Speaking during an interactive session at the Raisina Dialogue, Jaishankar also indirectly referred to the sinking of another Iranian warship, IRIS Dena, off the coast of Sri Lanka on March 4.

“For us, when this ship wanted to come in, and that too in difficulty, it was the humane thing to do. We were guided by that principle,” he said.

“Of the other ships, one had a similar situation in Sri Lanka and they took the decision which they did. And one unfortunately didn’t make it,” he added, referring to the sinking of IRIS Dena.

IRIS Dena was returning home after participating in the Milan Naval Exercise. At least 87 Iranian sailors were killed in the incident on Wednesday.

Jaishankar also highlighted that India continues to act as a net security provider in the Indian Ocean region.

The external affairs minister was joined at the session by the foreign ministers of Sri Lanka, Mauritius and Seychelles.

The ministers stressed the importance of adhering to international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, while dealing with maritime incidents.

Jaishankar also emphasised India’s priority of ensuring the safety of Indian seafarers and the nearly 10 million Indian nationals living in West Asian countries amid the ongoing crisis in the region.

“Indians make up a large proportion of the workforce on merchant ships. Whenever a tanker or cargo vessel is attacked, there is a strong possibility that the ship is fully or partly crewed by Indians,” he said.

Responding to a question on the sinking of IRIS Dena, Vijitha Herath stressed the need to strictly follow UNCLOS and other international laws.

“Sri Lanka faces many challenges. We need to strengthen the implementation of international laws,” he said.

“In this incident, too, we are following international law and have taken all necessary steps accordingly. We do not need to support any particular side. Our actions have been guided by humanitarian considerations,” Herath added.