ndia’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday reaffirmed that the country’s decisions on defence procurement and energy sourcing are guided by its own national interests and strategic considerations.
Speaking at a regular media briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “The sourcing of our defence requirements is determined solely by our national security imperatives and strategic assessments.” He added that India selects energy sources based on market availability and the prevailing global situation.
Responding to questions about India’s ties with Russia, Jaiswal emphasised that the relationship stands on its own merit. “Our bilateral relationships with various countries stand on their own merit and should not be seen from the prism of a third country. India and Russia have a steady and time-tested partnership,” MEA said.
On India’s ties with the United States, Jaiswal described the relationship as “strong and growing,” built on shared democratic values and mutual strategic interests. “India and the United States share a comprehensive global strategic partnership anchored in shared interests, democratic values and robust people-to-people ties,” he said.
Regarding defence cooperation, he noted that the India-US defence partnership has grown significantly in recent years. “There is potential for this partnership to grow further under the India-US compact for the 21st century,” he added.
In a related development, India’s Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal addressed the impact of recent tariff measures announced by Donald Trump.
Trump had proposed a 25 per cent tariff on Indian imports and made comments referring to India’s economy as “dead.”
Speaking in Parliament on Thursday, Goyal said the Government is closely examining the situation and will take appropriate measures to protect national interests.
“The Ministry of Commerce and Industry is in talks with exporters, industries and all stakeholders, gathering information on their assessment of this issue,” Goyal said. “We give utmost priority to safeguarding the welfare of farmers, labourers, entrepreneurs, exporters and MSMEs. All necessary steps will be taken to defend our national interest.”