Defending India’s decision to buy oil from Russia after its military action commenced in Ukraine in February, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Wednesday “it is my obligation, my moral duty to actually ensure that I get them the best deal" as citizens here cannot afford high energy prices.
Clarifying the country’s stand on this issue, he also said India is not defensive about its decision and made other countries realize the obligation it has to its people. “Once you laid out very openly and honestly, people accept it. They may not always appreciate it but once it is there and you are not trying to be too clever about it, you actually have laid out your interest in a very direct manner, my sense is that the world somewhat accepts that as reality,” Jaishankar said addressing an interaction with the Indian community in Bangkok.
Jaishankar arrived in Thailand on Tuesday to attend the 9th India-Thailand Joint Commission meeting as both countries celebrate 75 years of the establishment f diplomatic relations.Elaborating upon the decision to buy oil from Russia, he said one of the main reasons was rising crude prices since the Ukraine conflict began and India’s traditional oil supplier lot has shrunk.
"We are not doing it in a defensive way. We are being very open and honest about our interests. I have a country which has a per capita income of two thousand dollars. These are not people who can afford higher energy prices. It is my obligation, my moral duty to actually ensure that I get them the best deal," Jaishankar said. His comments came in the backdrop of many countries in Europe and the US criticizing India for procuring oil from Russia amidst sanctions against it.