Following the clarification by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), in light of US President Donald Trump’s statement that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has agreed to stop buying Russian oil, Russian Ambassador to India Denis Alipov reiterated India’s stance, stating that India’s decisions are guided by its national interests.
Speaking to news agency ANI, Alipov said that Moscow’s cooperation with New Delhi on oil import aligns with India’s national interests. On whether India will continue to import Russian Oil, Alipov said, “This is the question for the Indian government”.
“The Indian Government is having in mind the national interest of this country in the first place, and our cooperation in energy is very much in tune with those interests,” Alipov told ANI.
The MEA on Thursday said that safeguarding the interests of the Indian consumer in a volatile energy scenario is the government’s consistent priority.
The remarks came in light of US President Donald Trump’s statement on Wednesday, where he said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has agreed to stop buying Russian oil while speaking to reporters at the White House.
“India is a significant importer of oil and gas. It has been our consistent priority to safeguard the interests of the Indian consumer in a volatile energy scenario. Our import policies are guided entirely by this objective,” an official statement from the MEA read.
The statement added that ensuring stable energy prices and secured supplies have been the twin goals of India’s energy policy.
“This includes broad-basing our energy sourcing and diversifying as appropriate to meet market conditions,” the statement noted.
In response to the US President’s remarks, India stated that for years, the country has sought to expand its energy procurement.
“This has steadily progressed in the last decade. The current administration has shown interest in deepening energy cooperation with India. Discussions are ongoing,” the statement added.
