'India Is Open About Its Interests, Wants The best deal': EAM Jaishankar On Russian Oil Import

“Every country will try to ensure the best deal it gets to cushion high energy prices and India is doing exactly the same thing,” said Jaishankar while interacting with Indian community in Bangkok

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar

Source : ANI

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday justified India’s stance on buying Russian oil amid the Ukraine conflict. “Every country will try to ensure the best deal it gets to cushion high energy prices and India is doing exactly the same thing,” Jaishankar responded to a question while interacting with the Indian community in Bangkok,reported news agency ANI.  India has continued to purchase oil from Russia resisting pressure from Western nations, including the US and the European Union, where authorities have chosen to abandon Moscow’s fuel imports as they continue to condemn Russia over the conflict raging in Ukraine.

The foreign minister noted that oil and gas prices remain unreasonably high throughout the world. He also said Europe was buying more oil from the Middle East countries which were Asia's traditional suppliers, however, now it was diverted to Europe.

"...We've been very honest about our interest. I have a country with per capita income of $2000, these aren't people who can afford higher energy prices. My moral duty to ensure best deal..." said Jaishankar.

#WATCH |On India importing Russian crude oil, EAM says, "...We've been very honest about our interest. I have a country with per capita income of $2000, these aren't people who can afford higher energy prices. My moral duty to ensure best deal..."(16.8)

(Courtesy: EAM's FB page) pic.twitter.com/KdDZrEEL0I

— ANI (@ANI) August 17, 2022

In June, the external affairs minister had come out strongly against Europe over staying “silent on many issues”. At the GLOBSEC Forum in Slovakia's Bratislava, Jaishankar said, “Somewhere Europe has to grow out of the mindset that Europe's problems are the world's problems and world's problems are not Europe's problems”.

On being asked which country India will ‘side’ with in a future bipolar world led by US and China, EAM said, “This is the construct you are trying to impose on me, and I don't accept it. I don't think it's necessary for me to join this axis or not and if I am not joining this I must be with other, I don't accept that," said Jaiishankar while adding that India has a one-fifth population in the world and is among the top 10 largest democracies across the globe.

Jaishankar arrived in Thailand on Tuesday to attend the 9th India-Thailand Joint Commission meeting to celebrate 75 years of the establishment of diplomatic relations.