Kamal Ghorui
Jaishankar heads to UAE, Puri to QatarNEW DELHI: With a fragile ceasefire in place in West Asia, India is looking to renew engagement with the Gulf through visits by Union external affairs minister S Jaishankar to the UAE and petroleum and natural gas minister Hardeep Singh Puri to Qatar. India welcomed the ceasefire between Iran and US-Israel, hoping it would restore vessel movement through the key Strait of Hormuz. While Puri is on a two-day visit to Doha, Jaishankar will arrive in the UAE on Saturday to deepen the comprehensive strategic partnership with India’s key Gulf partner. Both countries are vital energy suppliers for India, UAE being the fourth largest source for crude oil and second largest source for LNG and LPG. Qatar is the largest supplier of LNG to India, accounting for over 40% of its global LNG imports . Puri is the first Indian minister to visit the Gulf since the conflict began on Feb 28. He was received by India’s ambassador to Qatar and officials of QatarEnergy, the state-owned petroleum and natural gas company. The visit is significant as India seeks to secure energy supplies with shipping through the Strait of Hormuz set to resume. Sujata Sharma, joint secretary in the ministry of petroleum and natural gas, however, said details of discussions will be known once he returns. India imports nearly 50% of its liquefied natural gas (LNG) and about 60% of LPG, with a large share coming from Doha. The conflict disrupted supplies routed via the Strait of Hormuz, which remained shut for nearly a month. India has major long-term contracts with QatarEnergy for LNG supplies, including a 17-year deal with Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation for 1 million tonne per annum starting 2026, and a 20-year extension with Petronet LNG for 7.5 MTPA from 2028 to 2048.
