Russia’s Ambassador to India Denis Alipov on Thursday said India’s decisions on energy imports are guided by its national interests and Moscow’s cooperation with New Delhi in the region is in line with these priorities.
Responding to a question on whether India would continue importing Russian oil, Alipov said, “This is a question for the Indian government. The Indian government is keeping in mind the national interest of its country first of all, and our cooperation in the field of energy is in line with these interests.”
His comments come after the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) reaffirmed India’s independent approach to energy sources. Earlier, US President Donald Trump had said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assured him that India will stop buying oil from Russia.
Earlier, while talking to the media in Washington, Trump said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assured him that India will stop buying oil from Russia. He called it a major step in efforts to increase global pressure on Moscow.
Responding to ANI’s question on whether he considered India a reliable partner, Trump said, “Yes, absolutely. He (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) is my friend. We have a very good relationship. I was not happy with the fact that India was buying oil. And he assured me today that they will not buy oil from Russia. This is a big milestone. Now we have to get China to do the same.”
In response to such comments, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) reaffirmed India’s independent energy policy, saying that the country’s energy sourcing arrangements are guided by its national interests and the need to protect Indian consumers.
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “India is a significant importer of oil and gas. Protecting the interests of Indian consumers in an unstable energy landscape has been our constant priority. Our import policies are strictly guided by this objective.”
“Ensuring stable energy prices and secure supplies have been the twin goals of our energy policy. This includes broadening our energy sources and diversifying them in response to market conditions,” he said.
He further said, “As far as the US is concerned, we have been trying to expand our energy purchases for many years. There has been steady progress over the last decade. The current administration has shown interest in deepening energy cooperation with India. Discussions are ongoing.”