NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi departed for Europe on Saturday to participate in the Group of Seven Summit, where India is expected to call for unrestricted navigation through the Strait of Hormuz following US attacks on vessels carrying Indian seafarers.
Modi will be visiting France and Slovakia to meet leaders of the two countries before attending the G7 Summit in the French town of Evian, which would mark India’s 13th participation as a partner country at the forum of the world’s richest countries. Core members are Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the US.
The trip comes days after three Indian seafarers were killed in a US strike near the Strait of Hormuz, an attack the US Central Command said was launched because the motor tanker was “attempting to transport oil from Iran.”
India will present its position on the situation on the Hormuz strait at the G7 Summit, said Randhir Jaiswal, a spokesperson for the Indian Ministry of External Affairs.
“We want and we have urged that there be unimpeded and safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz in keeping with international law. So, that is our position. This is a topic which will come up for discussion and we’ll put our points across. Also, other concerns that we have arising out of the West Asia situation and developments there,” he told reporters in a briefing.
