India is firm on strategic autonomy in oil purchase, decisions will be decided on availability and price.

Munich. America is repeatedly claiming that India has stopped buying oil from Russia. Meanwhile, while ensuring its strategic autonomy, India has given a clear message globally that its energy-related decisions will be taken keeping in mind availability, price and risk. Let us tell you, recently an interim trade agreement has been signed between India and America. Since then, US President Donald Trump and Foreign Minister Marco Rubio have been claiming that India has agreed to stop extra import of Russian crude.

Addressing the Munich Security Conference on Saturday local time, India’s External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar rejected suggestions that the recent India-US trade deal would weaken India’s long-standing commitment to its strategic economy. In fact, Rubio had said that after the latest US ban on Russian energy exports, India has assured Washington that it will avoid buying more Russian oil. During the conference, Russian news agency Tass quoted Rubio as saying, ‘America has imposed additional restrictions on Russian oil. In our talks with India, we have got a commitment from them to stop buying extra Russian oil. Europe has taken its own steps to move forward.

Earlier this month, Trump had said, ‘India has agreed to stop buying oil from Russia and buy more from America.’ However, S Jaishankar made it clear that India’s foreign policy approach will remain based on the framework of its independent decision making. He said, ‘We are very attached to strategic autonomy because it is an important part of our history and our development. And this is something that is very deep, this is something that goes beyond the political realm. Referring specifically to energy provision, the Foreign Minister described the global oil market as complex and said, ‘As far as energy matters are concerned, it is a complex market today.

Oil companies in India, like in Europe and probably other parts of the world, look at availability, price and risk and take decisions that they feel are in their best interest.’ When he was directly asked whether India would stop buying oil from Russia under the terms of the trade agreement, Jaishankar clearly replied, ‘If the simple meaning of your question is, will I be free-thinking and take my own decisions and will I take decisions that do not match your thinking, then yes, it can happen.’ India has so far neither officially confirmed nor denied Washington’s claim that it has promised to stop further imports of Russian crude oil.