Diversifying energy procurement: India in response to Trump's oil trade claim

India on Thursday said it is broadbasing and diversifying its sourcing of energy to meet market conditions hours after US President Donald Trump claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured him that New Delhi will stop procuring Russian crude oilExternal Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal responding to Trumps remarks said it has been New Delhis consistent priority to safeguard the interests of the Indian consumer in a volatile energy scenarioHe said Indias import policies are guided entirely by national interest adding India has been looking at expanding energy ties with the US as wellEnsuring stable energy prices and secured supplies have been the twin goals of our energy policy he saidThis includes broadbasing our energy sourcing and diversifying as appropriate to meet market conditions Jaiswal addedIndias continuing purchase of petroleum products from Russia notwithstanding Western sanctions have become a major issue that resulted in severe downturn in ties between New Delhi and WashingtonIn Washington Trump told reporters that he Modi has assured me there will be no oil purchases from RussiaThe US president said India may not be able to cut the procurement immediately but the process has startedIt process has started He cant do it immediately Its a little bit of a process but the process is going to be over soon the US president saidIn his remarks Jaiswal noted that India is holding talks with the Trump administration on boosting bilateral energy tiesWhere the US is concerned we have for many years sought to expand our energy procurement This has steadily progressed in the last decade he saidThe current administration has shown interest in deepening energy cooperation with India Discussions are ongoing he addedExplaining Indias policy on energy procurement Jaiswal said it is driven by national interestIndia 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 he said Our import policies are guided entirely by this objective he saidIn his remarks Trump suggested that the US wants India to stop procurement of Russian crude only to put financial pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin so that ends the war in UkraineAll we want from President Putin is to stop this stop killing Ukrainians and stop killing Russians because hes killing a lot of Russians It is a war he should have won in one week and now it is going into fourth year he saidWashington has been maintaining that India is helping Putin to finance the war through its purchase of Russian crude oilThe relations between New Delhi and Washington have been reeling under severe stress after Trump doubled tariffs on Indian goods to a whopping 50 per cent including a 25 per cent additional duties for Indias purchase of Russian crude oilIndia described the US action as unfair unjustified and unreasonableLast week US Ambassadordesignate Sergio Gor met PM Modi in New DelhiFollowing the meeting Gor said the US values its relationship with IndiaGor was in New Delhi amid continuing strains in the bilateral relationsThe Ambassadordesignate also held talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri before meeting PM ModiThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever