Lavrov said the rise in Russian oil shipments to India was “not a secret” and part of publicly available trade data. “It is not a secret data or statistics. We published it and oil supplies to India increased.” The minister was speaking to a select group of media following the BRICS foreign ministers’ meeting in New Delhi.
US waiver extension for purchasing Russian oil amid severe logistical bottlenecks to sourcing crude from the Gulf due to the Iran war expires on Saturday. Russia remains a key oil supplier to India. During his three-day visit, Lavrov held talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on regional and global issues, including the conflicts in Ukraine and West Asia besides energy trade, joint defence production, and gave assurances on the supply of fertilisers and coking coal.
Lavrov termed the talks a part of efforts to strengthen the “privileged strategic partnership” between India and Russia despite growing Western sanctions and economic pressure. “During the talks with FM Jaishankar and during a lengthy conversation with PM Modi, we discussed the key areas of our privileged strategic partnership,” he said.
Batting for India, Lavrov said while Pakistan was playing a role in facilitating dialogue between the US and Iran, India could emerge as a long-term mediator due to its diplomatic experience. Lavrov also proposed India may invite Iran and the UAE and hold talks on ending the ongoing hostilities.