India-Russia Relationship 'Beneficial' Globally, Says Foreign Minister
Subrahmanyam Jaishankar stated that positive Russian-Indian relations play a key role in promoting global economic stability. Read the full article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
Cooperation with Moscow has averted a global energy crisis and could help end the Ukraine conflict, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar claimed.
In a recent interview with Sky News Australia, Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar emphasized that the friendly relations between Moscow and New Delhi play a significant role in maintaining international stability. He asserted that the West should be less focused on nations fostering good relationships with Russia and instead concentrate on diplomacy to resolve the Ukraine conflict.
Jaishankar defended India's decision to boost oil imports from Russia, which has increased in response to unprecedented sanctions imposed by the US and its allies targeting Russia’s financial sector and international trade amid the Ukraine crisis. He stated, “If we had not made the moves we had, let me tell you the energy markets would have taken a completely different turn and actually would have precipitated a global energy crisis. It would have caused inflation across the world as a consequence.”
Currently, imports of crude oil from Russia account for nearly 40% of India’s total oil purchases, a sharp rise from less than 1% before the Ukraine conflict escalated in February 2022. Jaishankar also mentioned that he anticipates bilateral trade between India and Russia to reach a target of $100 billion by 2030.
In response to Sky News host Sharri Markson’s comments about New Delhi’s close ties to Moscow causing "angst" in Australia, Jaishankar countered by highlighting that “countries don’t have exclusive relationships” in today’s world. He suggested that by that same logic, India should be wary of countries that maintain relations with its regional rival, Pakistan.
“What India has done and is doing with Russia is actually… helpful to the international community as a whole,” he continued, indicating that India’s actions have not only prevented a potential global energy crisis but might also assist in bringing an end to the hostilities between Moscow and Kiev.
Jaishankar noted that New Delhi has the capability to engage with both parties to “try to find some intersection in those conversations” and facilitate negotiations. He remarked, “I think the world, including Australia, needs such a country that will help bring this conflict back to the conference table,” emphasizing that “conflicts rarely end on the battlefield, mostly they end [through] negotiations.”
When pressed further by Markson about concerns over the growing cooperation between Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran, Jaishankar responded that these developments, which have been exacerbated by the Ukraine conflict, highlight the importance for the West to prioritize ending the hostilities. He affirmed, “It’s in everybody’s interest that the sooner the conflict ends the better. The longer the conflict drags out… all sorts of things are going to happen. Not all those things could necessarily be to Australia’s advantage or… that of Western countries.”
James del Carmen contributed to this report for TROIB News
In a recent interview with Sky News Australia, Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar emphasized that the friendly relations between Moscow and New Delhi play a significant role in maintaining international stability. He asserted that the West should be less focused on nations fostering good relationships with Russia and instead concentrate on diplomacy to resolve the Ukraine conflict.
Jaishankar defended India's decision to boost oil imports from Russia, which has increased in response to unprecedented sanctions imposed by the US and its allies targeting Russia’s financial sector and international trade amid the Ukraine crisis. He stated, “If we had not made the moves we had, let me tell you the energy markets would have taken a completely different turn and actually would have precipitated a global energy crisis. It would have caused inflation across the world as a consequence.”
Currently, imports of crude oil from Russia account for nearly 40% of India’s total oil purchases, a sharp rise from less than 1% before the Ukraine conflict escalated in February 2022. Jaishankar also mentioned that he anticipates bilateral trade between India and Russia to reach a target of $100 billion by 2030.
In response to Sky News host Sharri Markson’s comments about New Delhi’s close ties to Moscow causing "angst" in Australia, Jaishankar countered by highlighting that “countries don’t have exclusive relationships” in today’s world. He suggested that by that same logic, India should be wary of countries that maintain relations with its regional rival, Pakistan.
“What India has done and is doing with Russia is actually… helpful to the international community as a whole,” he continued, indicating that India’s actions have not only prevented a potential global energy crisis but might also assist in bringing an end to the hostilities between Moscow and Kiev.
Jaishankar noted that New Delhi has the capability to engage with both parties to “try to find some intersection in those conversations” and facilitate negotiations. He remarked, “I think the world, including Australia, needs such a country that will help bring this conflict back to the conference table,” emphasizing that “conflicts rarely end on the battlefield, mostly they end [through] negotiations.”
When pressed further by Markson about concerns over the growing cooperation between Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran, Jaishankar responded that these developments, which have been exacerbated by the Ukraine conflict, highlight the importance for the West to prioritize ending the hostilities. He affirmed, “It’s in everybody’s interest that the sooner the conflict ends the better. The longer the conflict drags out… all sorts of things are going to happen. Not all those things could necessarily be to Australia’s advantage or… that of Western countries.”
James del Carmen contributed to this report for TROIB News
