India's energy policy reflects national interests: Russian envoy slams Trump's oil claims

New Delhi, Oct 16 (IANS) Russian Ambassador to India Denis Alipov on Thursday dismissed US President Donald Trump's claim that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had assured him India would stop buying oil from Russia, asserting that New Delhi's energy policy is guided solely by national interests and the welfare of its people.

Speaking to reporters, Alipov said, "The Indian government is having in mind the national interest of this country in the first place, and our cooperation in energy is very much in tune with those interests."

He emphasised that Russian oil supplies have been "very beneficial for the Indian economy and for the welfare of Indian people," adding that the Indian leadership has repeatedly stated the rationale behind its "extensive cooperation" with Moscow in the energy sector.

Alipov's remarks came after Trump told reporters that PM Modi had assured him India would end Russian oil imports -- a move Washington has long been urging.

"He assured me today that they will not be buying oil from Russia. That's a big step... We're going to get China to do the same thing," Trump had said, referring to PM Modi.

Reacting to this, Alipov said, "I am not privy to conversations between the Indian Prime Minister and the President of the United States. But whatever is going on, it is a bilateral business between India and the US. We proceed from the understanding that the policy of the Indian government, first of all, reflects the interests of the Indian people, the interests of the national economy, and those goals do not contradict the Russia-India relations."

He further said that Moscow maintains a "trustful dialogue" with New Delhi on multiple issues, including oil and gas cooperation.

"We are in a very close dialogue with the Indian government on various issues. We have the figures, we have the ongoing cooperation. I think we will continue to discuss the cooperation in this sector with India," he added.

Clarifying Russia's stance on India's ties with other nations, Alipov said, "As far as the relations between India and the US are concerned, we do not interfere in those issues. This is a bilateral track of India with the US. And India has a bilateral track with us. We consider those independent. Our relationship is not directed against anyone. It reflects the ties for the benefit of our countries."

"We think that our supply of oil is very beneficial for the Indian economy, for the welfare of the Indian people. And the Prime Minister, the Indian government has gone on record on many accounts that these are the reasons for the current extensive cooperation with Russia in energy," he further mentioned.

Meanwhile, earlier in the day, reacting to Trump's statement, India reiterated that its energy decisions are based on consumer interests and are aimed at maintaining stable prices and ensuring supply security.

In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said, "India is a significant importer of oil and gas. It has been our consistent priority to safeguard the interests of the Indian consumer in a volatile energy scenario. Our import policies are guided entirely by this objective."

It further stated that "ensuring stable energy prices and secured supplies have been the twin goals of our energy policy. This includes broad-basing our energy sourcing and diversifying as appropriate to meet market conditions."

--IANS

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