New Delhi, March 20
External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar said he has spoken to Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong on Friday to discuss the escalating crisis in West Asia and the wider situation in the Indo-Pacific.
The phone call comes amid growing international concern over renewed attacks on key gas and energy facilities in the region. In a post on social media, Jaishankar said he was “very pleased” to speak with Senator Wong and that the two leaders had “shared our assessments of the ongoing West Asia conflict” while also discussing developments in the Indo-Pacific.
The conversation follows an Israeli strike on Iran’s strategic South Pars gas fields on Wednesday, which was followed by what reports described as a strong Iranian response targeting critical energy infrastructure in several Gulf states, including Qatar’s major liquefied natural gas hub at Ras Laffan. The developments are being closely watched in India, which relies heavily on Qatari LNG imports. Qatar supplies nearly 40% of India’s liquefied natural gas needs, making any disruption in the Gulf a matter of significant concern for energy security.
