NEW DELHI, March 31. /TASS/. India has increased its supplies of Russian oil, including spot orders, during the period when US sanctions on oil and petroleum product sales from Russia were lifted, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko told TASS.
"Our Indian friends are indeed viewing this period, which began on March 12, as an opportunity to replenish depleted [energy] reserves," he said following consultations between Russian and Indian foreign ministries in New Delhi.
"We are talking about spot deliveries, by ships that set sail before March 12. Oil is being sold at market prices," the Deputy Foreign Minister said.
As he noted, "many countries need oil right now."
"And this concerns not only to India, but also other Southeast Asian countries. Recently, tankers carrying Russian oil, according to media reports, called in the Philippines, and there is demand in other countries as well," he said.
Earlier, the US Treasury Department lifted sanctions on the sale of oil and petroleum products from Russia loaded onto vessels before March 12. A general license issued by the agency's Office of Foreign Assets Control allows such operations until April 11.