India’s External Affairs Minister Defends Trade with Russia: Calls for Review of EU Council Regulations
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has urged EU Foreign policy chief Josep Borrell to examine the EU Council regulations. Borrell previously suggested that the European Union should take action against India’s resale of refined fuels made from Russian oil into Europe
Belgium: During a meeting with EU Foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar advised him to refer to the EU Council regulations regarding the reselling of Russian oil as refined fuels by India into Europe. This advice came after Borrell suggested that the European Union should crack down on such practices as part of tightening sanctions on Russia’s energy sector.
The discussion took place in Brussels, where Jaishankar arrived as part of his three-nation visit, which included Bangladesh, Sweden, and Belgium. “Look at the EU Council regulations. Russian crude is substantially transformed in the third country and not treated as Russian anymore. I would urge you to look at Council’s Regulation 833/201,” Jaishankar said.
Previously, Jaishankar has defended India’s imports from Russia and criticized Western pressure on India to limit its trade with Russia due to the latter’s actions in Ukraine. He highlighted the relatively small scale of trade between India and Russia, around $12-13 billion, compared to European countries. Jaishankar emphasized that trade growth is a legitimate expectation for any trading country and should not be misinterpreted.
To support his stance, Jaishankar suggested referring to the “Russia Fossil Fuel Tracker” website, which provides country-specific data on fossil fuel imports, implying that it could offer valuable insights into the matter.
