Jaishankar’s clear statement on buying oil from India, said – those who have problems should not buy…

New Delhi: Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar on Saturday clearly said that India has some red lines in the talks on the proposed trade agreement between India and America and the government will not make any kind of compromise to protect the interests of farmers and small producers. Jaishankar has given this statement at a time when after a few days, America is going to impose additional tariff on Indian products.

Speaking at a program, Jaishankar listed the three major problems of India-US relations at this time (trade and tariff, purchase of crude oil from Russia and Washington’s interference in the Pakistan matter).

In fact, India-US relations deteriorated when President Trump imposed a 50 percent tariff on Indian goods, which includes an additional 25 percent duty due to the purchase of Russian crude oil. This 25 percent duty has already been implemented and the additional one will be effective from August 27.

‘India has its own red lines”
Jaishankar said that President Trump’s style of dealing with the world is completely different from the traditional US foreign policy and the whole world is facing this change. He said, “We have never seen an American President who has run a foreign policy so publicly. This change is not limited to India only.”

The Foreign Minister said that trade is the real and biggest issue for India. He reiterated that India has its own red lines and negotiations are going on. He said that as a government, we are committed to protecting the interests of farmers and small producers. We cannot compromise on this. The talks of bilateral trade agreement between India and America were stuck when India refused to open its agriculture and dairy sector.

This is what he said on buying crude oil from Russia
Responding to the repeated allegations by the Trump administration that India is making profits by buying cheap Russian crude oil and selling refined products at high prices in Europe and elsewhere, Jaishankar said, “It is funny that the US administration, which calls itself pro-business, is accusing others of doing business. If you have a problem buying oil or refined products from India, then don’t buy. No one is forcing you. But Europe is buying, America is buying. If you don’t like it, then don’t buy.”

Jaishankar said that buying crude oil from Russia is another important issue in India-US relations. He said, “This issue is being projected as an oil issue. But the same logic has not been applied to China, the biggest oil importer, nor to the EU, the biggest LNG importer. When people say we are funding the war or putting money into Putin’s coffers, Russia-EU trade is much bigger than India-Russia trade. So isn’t Europe putting money into Putin’s coffers?”

Jaishankar acknowledged that India’s crude oil imports from Russia have increased in the last few years and this is entirely due to national interests. “This is our right. In my profession we call it strategic autonomy. We are buying oil so that the oil market remains stable. Yes, it is in our national interest and we have never hidden it. But it is also in global interest.”

‘Mediation not accepted in relations with Pakistan’
Jaishankar also indicated that Washington’s stance on the Indo-Pak conflict is the third major issue in Indo-US relations. He said, “The third issue is related to our region, which is of mediation. Since the 1970s, that is, for 50 years, there is a national consensus in this country that we do not accept any kind of mediation in our relations with Pakistan.”

The Foreign Minister also rejected the assessment that relations between India and China are improving because Indo-US relations are under tension. He said, “I think this would be a wrong analysis, because every situation has to be responded to in its own context, and not by combining all of them and arriving at an overall conclusion.”