&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "‘Wedded to strategic autonomy’: EAM Jaishankar on India’s energy policy")
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar declared on Saturday (Feb 14) that India remains "wedded to strategic autonomy," even as the country navigates volatile energy markets and a strengthening partnership with Washington. This renewed focus on independent foreign policy comes on the heels of a historic India-US trade deal that ended months of diplomatic friction.
Jaishankar was speaking at the Munich Security Conference in Germany, and when asked whether the recent trade agreement with the US compels India to reduce its reliance on Russian oil.
"We are very much wedded to strategic autonomy because it's very much a part of our history and our evolution. It's something which is very deep, and it's something which cuts across the political spectrum as well," he said.
The Minister stated that India's energy sourcing policy is driven by commercial imperatives in a complex and dynamic global oil market.
"As for energy issues, this is a complex market today. Oil companies in India, as in Europe, as probably in other parts of the world, look at availability, look at costs, look at risks and take the decisions that they feel are in their best interest," he noted.
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He further said that in a "rapidly changing global environment", countries have to reassess their calculations and recalculations, and added that "India may not agree with all partners on every issue, dialogue and willingness to find common ground remain important."
Earlier in the day, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio claimed that India has committed to stop buying additional Russian oil, as the United States continue to tighten sanctions on Moscow over the Ukraine war.
In our conversations with India, we’ve gotten their commitment to stop buying additional Russian oil,” he said, outlining steps being taken alongside Europe to sustain pressure on Moscow.
