New Delhi, May 2 — Australia’s High Commissioner to India, Philip Green, says the crisis in West Asia is producing ripple effects globally, forcing countries such as Australia and India to adjust to higher oil prices and related supply-chain disruptions. He told ANI that India has been actively engaging key players to safeguard its interests, and that Australia has likewise moved quickly to secure sufficient fuel supplies from regional refining partners, since much of Australia’s refined fuel is imported from around the region.
Green said governments are working to minimize economic damage and welcomed a ceasefire as a step toward de-escalation and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz for normal trade. “I have seen India being very active in engaging with key players to make sure its interests are secured. Our foreign ministers have been in touch about it two or three times,” he said, noting that France and Britain have also convened online meetings and that multiple governments are involved in efforts to stabilize the situation.
He praised India’s handling of the geopolitics and geoeconomics of the crisis, observing that India faces the dual reality of being both a major importer and a major refiner of fossil fuels and is ensuring continued access to oil and gas supplies. “I have also seen India on the same page as Australia in trying to move forward the process to get the Straits of Hormuz open. It is complex for all of us and none of it is without risk, but as we normally see from Dr. Jaishankar and Mr. Singh Puri, it is a very professional effort to deal with a difficult situation,” Green said.
He added that Australia has long sought to diversify its supply and export partners, with India a key part of that strategy. “For us, India is a big part of that. This is the largest, fastest-growing large economy in the world, and it is very complementary to ours. We produce the things that India doesn’t and vice versa. Our energy, minerals, skills, and training will be very useful to India in its next phase of growth,” he said.
Separately, Al Jazeera quoted U.S. President Donald Trump expressing dissatisfaction with Iran’s latest peace proposal, saying “they’re asking for things I can’t agree to” and warning that an “early” end to the conflict could lead to recurring problems.
