Last Updated on September 16, 2026 12:01 am by INDIAN AWAAZ
Staff Reporter / New Delhi
India’s Ministry of External Affairs has said that several issues came up during the discussion between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping during their meeting on the sidelines of the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi. Addressing media here on Tuesday, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that during the meeting, Prime Minister referred to India’s concerns and underlined that both sides should show sensitivity to each other’s core concerns. He added that the concerns should be be guided by the three mutuals which are mutual respect, mutual interest, and mutual sensitivity.
In reply to a question on the attack on the commercial vessel MT El Gaia off the coast of Oman, Mr Jaiswal said that targeting commercial shipping, seafarers, civilians, and civilian infrastructure in the region is unacceptable to India. He said, India also urges that free and safe navigation, as well as the flow of commerce through international waterways in the region, be restored at the earliest. He said, the attack on the vessel occurred off the coast of Oman involving a Panama-flagged vessel carrying 14 Indian national seafarers. He said, of them , 13 have been rescued and one Indian national, a seafarer who was on board the vessel, remains missing. Mr Jaiswal informed that search and rescue operations are continuing with the assistance of the Omani authorities, and Indian Embassy is in close contact with them.
When asked about the reward of 70 lakh Pakistani rupees announced by Pakistan on Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar, the spokesperson said that such gimmicks and attempts at hoodwinking by Pakistan are not new as India has seen similar gimmicks in the past as well. Mr Jaiswal said that Pakistan must take concrete action rather than making announcements that are of no consequence.
Replying to another query, Mr Jaiswal said the energy cooperation between India and Russia is an important pillar of the bilateral partnership. He pointed out that both countries have been collaborating for a long time now on nuclear sector. He added that the Kudankulam project is a successful example of India-Russia collaboration in the energy field. He said India wants to take this energy cooperation with Russia forward. He also informed that both sides have been in conversation, and technical teams have been in discussions.
The spokesperson said External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar held a meeting with the Saudi Foreign Minister on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit. During the meeting, they discussed regional and international developments. Mr Jaiswal said that the issue of the Houthis was also discussed. There was recently an attack on Saudi Arabia, which India has condemned. He further stated that New Delhi is deeply concerned with the escalation in the situation in the Red Sea region. India has condemned the attacks on Saudi sovereign territory, including on civilian infrastructure and economic assets. Mr Jaiswal said such attacks undermine regional stability and threaten freedom of navigation through the Strait of Bab-el-Mandeb. He termed these actions as unacceptable, and hoped for the early restoration of peace and stability in the region. He added that India continues to receive energy supplies from that part of the world.