India and China have agreed to remain sensitive to each other’s core concerns and guide their bilateral relations by the principles of mutual respect, mutual interest and mutual sensitivity, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the issue was discussed during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi. He said several issues concerning bilateral relations were discussed during the meeting.
On the attack on the commercial vessel MT El Gaia off the coast of Oman, Jaiswal said targeting commercial shipping, seafarers, civilians and civilian infrastructure in the region was unacceptable to India.
He said the Panama-flagged vessel was carrying 14 Indian nationals. While 13 seafarers have been rescued, one Indian national remains missing. Search-and-rescue operations are continuing with the assistance of the Omani authorities, while the Indian Embassy remains in close contact with them.
India also called for the immediate restoration of free and safe navigation and the uninterrupted flow of commerce through international waterways in the region.
Responding to a question about Pakistan’s reported announcement of a reward of 70 lakh Pakistani rupees linked to Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar, Jaiswal said such “gimmicks” by Pakistan were not new.
He said India had witnessed similar moves in the past and urged Pakistan to take concrete action instead of making announcements that ultimately have no consequence.
