India is closely monitoring developments surrounding a bipartisan Bill in the US Senate that proposes imposing tariffs of up to 100 per cent on countries purchasing Russian energy, and is engaging with relevant stakeholders in Washington on the issue, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Friday.
Responding to questions at a weekly media briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India had taken note of the proposed legislation and reiterated that the country’s energy procurement decisions would continue to be guided by its national interests and energy security requirements.
“We are aware of the developments. We are closely monitoring the situation. On energy security our position has been well articulated several times. It is something predicated on our national priorities and in securing the energy needs of our 1.4 billion citizens through diversified sources, which includes the US. We remain engaged with relevant stakeholders in the US at various levels on this particular matter,” Jaiswal said.
The proposed legislation, introduced by a bipartisan group of US senators, seeks to intensify pressure on Russia by authorising tariffs of up to 100 per cent on imports from countries that continue to purchase Russian oil, gas and other energy products.
