On buying oil from Russia, Jaishankar says ‘it works to India’s advantage’

Jaishankar’s remarks came in the backdrop of his meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow.

“First of all, there’s stress on the energy market. This is a stress that has been created by a combination of factors, but as the world’s third-largest consumer of oil and gas — a consumer without a high level of income — our fundamental obligation is to ensure that Indian consumers have the best access to the most advantageous terms in the international markets,” the External Affairs Minister, who is on a two-day visit to Moscow, said.

“And in that respect quite honestly, India-Russia relationship has worked to our advantage. So if it works to my advantage, I’d like to keep that going,” he said.

Describing India’s relationship with Russia as “exceptionally” steady, Jaishankar underlined that the objective now is to stitch a mutually beneficial and long-term engagement in the backdrop of the increasing economic cooperation.

In his opening remarks following the meeting with Lavrov, Jaishankar pointed out that the Covid-19 pandemic, financial pressures and trade difficulties had taken a toll on the global economy.

“We are now seeing the consequences of the Ukraine conflict on top of that. There are also the more perennial issues of terrorism and climate change, both of which have a disruptive impact on progress and prosperity,” he added.

Both leaders spoke on a wide range of issues pertaining to bilateral, regional and global matters. Jaishakar arrived in the Russian Moscow on Monday evening. This is the fifth meeting between both leaders after the Ukraine conflict began in February.

His visit assumes significance as it comes days before the G-20 summit in Bali, scheduled for November 15-16. This will be the first time since the war broke out in Ukraine that Putin and the western leaders, including US President Joe Biden, will be in the same room.

Jaishankar’s trip is being seen as a key moment, where Delhi is being billed as a potential negotiator between Russia and Ukraine. He had last visited Moscow in July 2021. It is learnt that India has intervened quietly in the past few months, when there has been a deadlock. In July, India had weighed in with Russia on the grain shipment from ports in the Black Sea.

On the Ukraine conflict, India has been maintaining that the crisis should be resolved through diplomacy and dialogue and has not yet officially condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine. At a bilateral meeting with Putin in the Uzbek city of Samarkand on September 16, Modi had told him that “today’s era is not of war”.

With inputs from ANI & PTI 

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