The rift among Gulf countries is an “internal” issue for the Gulf Cooperation Council, and the move for some members led by Saudi Arabia to cut ties with Qatar will not impact India, the government said on Monday, downplaying concerns over a major rift in the region.
“There is no challenge for India, this is an internal matter for GCC countries, and has happened before,” said External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. “If there is a worry, it is for Indians being stuck in the situation as they have stopped travel. If any Indian is stuck, we will bring him back. So there is no reason to worry.”
Qatar is the largest supplier of liquefied natural gas to India, supplying about 8 million tonnes a year, which is imported by Petronet LNG. “I don’t think there will be any impact on it. We get gas directly from Qatar by sea,” R.K. Garg, head of finance at Petronet, was quoted by news agency Reuters as saying when asked about the impact of the decision.
