New Delhi: India will take a view on the return of its Embassy staff posted in
Baghdad depending on the evolving situation, External Affairs Minister Yashwant
Sinha informed the Rajya Sabha on April 10.
Responding to supplementaries during Question Hour, he said it was a matter
regarding the future, as hostilities were still on and it could not be said that the
government in Iraq has been deposed.
"Therefore, we will take a view as the situation evolves," he said adding India
would take a decision that was consistent with its foreign policy and with its
friendship with the Iraqi people.
Earlier, Minister of State for External Affairs Vinod Khanna informed the House that
the Embassy staff in Baghdad has been moved to Amman and they were still there. On
return of normalcy, a decision would be taken to move them or not.
Khanna said 19 Indians were reportedly still in Iraq and all of them had chosen to
stay. However, there was no information about them except for two Indian journalists
who are safe.
He said prior to the commencement of military action on March 20, on the advise of
the Indian Embassy in Baghdad, most Indian nationals in Iraq voluntarily left the
country and there had been no need to evacuate them.
He said New Delhi has announced it would make a contribution of $ 20 million in cash
and kind to the UN emergency appeal in view of India's abiding friendship with the
Iraqi people.
He said the adjusted oil-for-food programme gave an opportunity to Indian companies
to meet Iraqi priority needs.
PTI
