The External Affairs Ministry today said that the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) has issued a statement on recent developments between Israel and Iran, and India’s own position had been articulated yesterday, and remains the same.
In a statement on the SCO, the Ministry urged that channels of dialogue and diplomacy be utilised to work towards de-escalation and it is essential that the international community undertake endeavours in that direction. The Ministry said that the overall position of India was communicated to other SCO members. It added that keeping this in mind, India did not participate in the discussions on the SCO statement.
The MEA mentioned that External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar too discussed this matter with his Iranian counterpart yesterday and conveyed the deep concern of the international community at the turn of events. He also urged the avoidance of any escalatory steps and an early return to diplomacy.