Ceasefire a wise step, war would have destabilised entire West Asia: Former envoy
New Delhi, April 8 (IANS) Former Indian diplomat Anil Trigunayat has welcomed the two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran, describing it as a crucial and timely step that may have prevented one of the most disastrous conflicts in recent history.
Speaking to IANS, Trigunayat, who has served as Indian Ambassador to Jordan and Libya, held that the continuation of the conflict could have triggered widespread instability across the Middle East, leading to severe global repercussions.
“Well, I think this is an excellent thing that this has happened. This war would have been otherwise perhaps the most disastrous war in recent history because it would have blown up most of the Middle East. That means the global challenges would have been insurmountable in the short and medium term,” he said.
The former diplomat further stressed that the ceasefire reflects wisdom on the part of all stakeholders and expressed hope that it would pave the way for sustained dialogue and a permanent resolution.
“I think that this was a wise thing for all sides to agree to a ceasefire and eventually to talk about some kind of an agreement so that there is a permanent ceasefire,” he added.
Emphasising the futility of war, Trigunayat underlined that no real victory can emerge from armed conflict.
“In a war, there are no victors; everybody is defeated. So claiming a victory can be for your own domestic consumption. Destruction is the end result of any war; how can that be a victory of any kind? But the fact that they have agreed to come to the table and hopefully they will stay committed and be honest and transparent, then only we can expect some kind of agreement,” he said.
Speaking on India’s position, Trigunayat highlighted the strategic importance of the region for the country, referring to it as an “extended neighbourhood” critical to India’s economic and security interests.
“India, as you know, for us, Middle East or West Asia, as we call it, is an existential geography. We import large amounts of energy from there. There are more than 10 million Indians living in the region. All the sea lanes of communication are important for our trade. We have huge investments on both sides. So from our purpose, this is very, very important and therefore security and stability in the region is of utmost importance for India,” he said.
He reiterated that India has consistently advocated dialogue, diplomacy and de-escalation as the only viable path forward in resolving such conflicts.
On India’s ties with key players in the region, including Israel, Iran, and the United States, Trigunayat noted that New Delhi maintains strong and balanced relations with all sides.
“Well, we have good relations with all the parties involved. Otherwise, how would we continue to have oil supplies coming through the Strait of Hormuz?” he remarked, highlighting the importance of uninterrupted energy flows.
He also credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for strengthening India’s engagement in the region.
“Of course, we believe in friendship with everybody, and that’s true. Under Prime Minister Modi, one thing I must say is that our West Asia policy has been greatly successful and we have strategic partnerships with nearly every country in the region,” he said.
–IANS
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