External Affairs Minister Jaishankar was speaking during an interaction with the Indian community in Bangkok.
New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday said it is his moral duty to ensure the best deal for Indians while reacting to why the country is importing Russian crude oil amidst the Ukraine war.
Jaishankar was speaking during an interaction with the Indian community in Bangkok.
He said, “We have been very honest about our interests. I have a country with a per capita income of $2,000. These aren’t people who can afford higher energy prices. It is my obligation… my moral duty to ensure that I get them the best deal I can.”
Jaishankar said India’s traditional supplier has shrunk a lot and added, “At this time, oil and gas prices are unreasonably high. A lot of traditional suppliers to India are also diverting them to Europe because Europe is buying or can buy less oil and gas from Russia. So, Europe is also buying much more from the Middle East and from other sources that would have supplied to India.”
He further said, “So, it is a situation today where every country will try to ensure the best deal it gets to cushion high energy prices and India is doing exactly the same thing.”
“And, once you lay it out very openly and honestly, people accept it. They may not always appreciate it, but as long as you have laid out your interests in a direct manner, my sense is that the world accepts that as a kind of reality,” Jaishankar said, adding, the United States too accepts India’s stand.
