France’s Ministry of Defense said on Thursday that the Commander-in-Chief of the French Armed Forces held a videoconference with representatives of 35 countries from all continents to discuss ways to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, The Independent reports.

The ministry did not specify which countries in particular took part in the initiative.

“This initiative, independent of the ongoing military operations in the region, is purely defensive in nature. Its goal is to organize the resumption of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz after the cessation of hostilities,” the ministry said in a statement.