‘It’s my moral duty to…’: Jaishankar defends India’s crude oil imports from Russia

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday (August 16, 2022) defended India’s crude oil imports from Russia and said that it is his “moral duty” to ensure the best deal for the country. Jaishankar, who is in Bangkok to attend the 9th India-Thailand Joint Commission Meeting, said that India has been “very open and honest” about its interest. Addressing the Indian community in Bangkok, he also discussed the surge in energy prices across the world due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.

“We have been very open and honest about our interests. I have a country with a per capita income of USD 2000, these are not people who can afford higher energy prices. It’s my moral duty to ensure the best deal,” he said.

Assessing global oil prices, Jaishankar also stated that oil and gas prices are “unreasonably high” across the world.

The External Affairs Minister stated that the US knows India’s position on Russian oil imports and has “moved on”.

This, notably, was not the first time that Jaishankar has defended India’s interest on a global scale.

Earlier in June, he had responded to unfair criticism against Indian oil purchase from Russia and had stressed that it is important to understand how the Ukraine conflict is impacting the developing countries. He had also questioned why only India was being questioned while Europe continues to import gas from Russia amid the Ukraine war.

Meanwhile, Jaishankar is scheduled to meet his Thai counterpart Don Pramudwinai in Bangkok on Wednesday.