NEW DELHI, April 8 (Xinhua) -- The Indian government on Wednesday welcomed the ceasefire reached between the United States and Iran, expressing hope for a lasting peace in the Middle East and unimpeded freedom of navigation and global flow of commerce through the Strait of Hormuz.
"As we have continuously advocated earlier, de-escalation, dialogue and diplomacy are essential to bring an early end to the ongoing conflict," India's foreign ministry said in a statement.
India said the conflict has already caused immense suffering to people and disrupted global energy supply and trade networks.
"We expect that unimpeded freedom of navigation and global flow of commerce would prevail through the Strait of Hormuz," the statement said. ■