India reiterated its call for “strategic autonomy” on Saturday amid continued insistence from the US that New Delhi had ‘agreed’ to stop purchasing Russian oil. The statement from External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also came amid continued pushback from the Opposition and allegations that the government had ‘surrendered’ to Washington.
“We are very much wedded to strategic autonomy because it’s very much a part of our history and our evolution. It’s something which is very deep, and it’s something which cuts across the political spectrum as well,” he told the Munich Security Conference.
The Minister noted that the global oil market was complex and ever-changing — adding that countries were now required to constantly reassess their calculations and partnerships. Jaishankar said that commercial considerations would continue to guide procurement decisions for India. He added that while the country may not agree with all partners on every issue, dialogue and a willingness to find common ground remain important.
“As for energy issues, this is a complex market today. Oil companies in India, as in Europe, as probably in other parts of the world, look at availability, look at costs, look at risks and take the decisions that they feel are in their best interest…So many things are changing, and so many of us are doing our calculations and recalculations,” he noted.
Conditional removal of tariffs
The United States had announced an interim trade deal with India earlier this month — slashing tariffs and conditionally lifting a stringent 25% cess on the purchase of Russian oil. President Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed that New Delhi was actively seeking alternatives to Russian oil and turning to the US for its requirements. The repeated assertions from the Trump administration are yet to be echoed by India. The Ministry of External Affairs reiterated earlier this week that energy sourcing was guided by “national interests”. And Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also noted on Wednesday that Trump appeared to be the only world leader declaring such a ‘ban’ on behalf of India.
“The United States has imposed additional sanctions on Russia’s oil. In our conversations with India, we have gotten their commitment to stop buying additional Russian oil. Europe has taken its set of steps moving forward,” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio insisted on Saturday. |
