West Asia War: India, Qatar call for end to energy supply disruptions

New Delhi: Oil minister Hardeep Puri Thursday met Qatar's energy minister Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, with both leaders underscoring the need for an early end to disruptions in global energy supplies and a swift return to normalcy in the backdrop of the Iran war.

"They emphasised the need for unimpeded freedom of navigation and the global flow of commerce to maintain global supply chains," the oil ministry said in a statement on Friday.

Al-Kaabi reaffirmed "Qatar's commitment to remain a reliable energy supplier and looked forward to continuing and strengthening energy relations and cooperation with India," according to the statement.


Both ministers discussed all aspects of the strategic relations between the two countries, including trade, investment, energy, culture, and people-to-people relations.

Qatar, India's largest LNG supplier, declared force majeure last month after Iranian attacks damaged about 17% of its liquefaction capacity, with repairs likely to take years. India has not received any LNG cargo from Qatar since the onset of the Iran war, as the Strait of Hormuz has remained effectively shut. Following the announcement of a two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran on Wednesday, India has begun reassessing the supply situation.

Only a handful of vessels are currently able to transit the strait, as Iran maintains tight control over movement. About 16 India-flagged vessels remain stranded in the Persian Gulf, while eight LPG carriers have managed to cross the strategic waterway in recent weeks.

A shipping ministry official said Wednesday that India is engaging with Tehran to secure the early exit of its stranded ships so they can discharge cargo in India and return to the Gulf for reloading.

Tehran is insisting that all countries coordinate with it for safe passage through the strait and is also planning to impose a levy on every transiting vessel. India has not held any discussions with Iran on such a levy, an official said earlier.