Singapore’s diplomatic chief this Saturday called for respect for the freedom and safety of maritime navigation, highlighting the “critical” nature of the Red Sea, which has been under attack by Houthi rebels, forcing shipping companies to divert routes.
“We ask everyone to respect the freedom and safety of maritime navigation,” Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said of the crisis in the Red Sea, where Houthi rebels from Yemen have stepped up attacks since the conflict between Israel and the movement began. Palestinian Islamist Hamas, October 7.
In a joint interview with Lusa, DN and TSF, Balakrishnan, who concludes his official visit to Portugal this Saturday, stressed that this is not a political position.
“This is not a political issue, it’s not about which side to take. This is not about the nature of the conflict. We want freedom and safety of navigation and believe that this is the responsibility of all of us and is in the collective interest. “, he emphasized.
The Foreign Minister recalled that the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea provides that, unlike other modes of transport, a ship can freely travel to any part of the world, “and this is a fundamental point.”
Balakrishnan said “certain straits are critical to international shipping” and the Suez Canal, which provides access to the Red Sea, provides the shortest route between Europe and Asia.
“The Red Sea is critical, as important as the Strait of Malacca or the Singapore Strait for us, and not only for us but also for the international community,” he said, stressing that for maritime countries such as Portugal or Singapore, navigation “is a critical issue.”
Singapore’s port trade volume is three times the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), he said.
This week, Singapore signed along with 11 other countries, including the United States and Britain, to what the US administration described as a final warning to the Houthis.
“Let our message be clear: we call for an immediate end to these unlawful attacks and the release of illegally detained vessels and crews,” the countries said in a statement.
“The Houthis will bear the consequences if they continue to threaten lives, the global economy and the free flow of trade along the region’s critical waterways,” through which about 15% of global trade passes, they further warned.
About 15% of global maritime trade, subscribers remind, passes through the Red Sea, “including 8% of global grain trade, 12% of global maritime trade in oil and 8% of trade in liquefied natural gas.”
The rebels, embroiled in a civil war with Yemen’s internationally recognized government since 2014, said they launched attacks on ships in the Red Sea to end Israel’s offensive in the Gaza Strip in a show of solidarity with Hamas.