NEW DELHI, January 27. /TASS/. India will continue to buy as much oil from Russia as possible, the two countries are also looking for ways to trade in national currencies, India’s G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant told TASS on Friday.
He recalled that after the introduction of anti-Russian sanctions by the West, India did not stop oil supplies from Russia.
"We have continued to buy oil from Russia, we have continued to see Russian oil companies investing in India. So, we continue to buy as much oil as possible from Russia, and we’ll continue to do this. We’ll continue to build our friendship and relationship with Russia," Kant said.
According to him, "India’s relationship with Russia is intact."The Indian Sherpa in the G20 also drew attention to the fact that Moscow and New Delhi are exploring various options so that the two countries can trade in national currencies.
"We’re looking at these opportunities with Russia," Kant said.
India, the world's third largest importer of crude oil after China and the US, is actively buying Russian oil. At the beginning of 2022, Russia's share in India's oil import basket reached only 0.2%, by the end of the year it had grown to almost 1 million barrels per day, which was more than 20%.
New Delhi did not support the cap the West imposed on Russian oil prices. As Indian Minister of Oil and Gas Hardeep Singh Puri stated earlier, oil does not have the stigma of any country, and India will continue to pursue an independent policy to ensure its energy security.