New Delhi: Elizabeth Rosenberg, the assistant secretary for Terrorist Financing and Financial Crimes at the US Department of Treasury, is coming to India Thursday to talk to officials and private industry about American sanctions as President Joe Biden’s administration wants India to limit its purchases of Russian oil, the department said. Rosenberg will be in New Delhi and Mumbai through Thursday, news agency Reuters reported, quoting a treasury spokesperson official.
The report said another senior US official had told the agency on March 31 that a significant increase in the Russian oil exports to India could expose New Delhi to "great risk" as the US plans to to step up enforcement of sanctions against Russia after the Ukraine invasion.
The treasury spokesperson said Rosenberg's visit is part of a wider effort by the Biden administration to reach out to partners and allies across the world to talk about implementation of US sanctions and export controls.
"It's important to talk to the parts of the world that are strong U.S. partners on a whole host of other issues, and make sure we're in close contact about our sanctions regime and working together to crack down on any evasion opportunities or evasion activities," the spokesperson said.
India is the world's No. 3 oil importer, and according to the report it boosted imports of Russian oil in April to about 277,000 barrels per day, up from 66,000 bpd in March, with refiners buying the discounted crude shunned by many countries in the West.
Rosenberg is expected to meet both Indian government officials and private and state refining companies and other businesses to speak on topics ranging from sanctions to food security, according to the Reuters report.