NEW DELHI, August 16. /TASS/. India expects that the United States will delay or cancel the introduction of secondary sanctions on New Delhi for purchasing oil from Russia in the wake of the Alaska summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US leader Donald Trump, an Indian government official told TASS.
"So, we may get a relaxation on the 25% tariff which is the secondary sanctions. We're buying Russian oil. We hope it (the tariff - TASS) will be not introduced or maybe given more time. Three months away," the official said.
According to him, India hopes that the outcome of the meeting between the Russian and US leaders will have a positive effect on trade talks between New Delhi and Washington. "Our negotiations were very close to concluding it. Almost all industrial goods were agreed. We also feel that it will give an opening for the trade talks to continue," he added.
On August 6, the United States slapped an additional 25% tariff on India for its purchases of Russian oil, bringing the total taxes against the South Asian republic to 50%. The Indian Foreign Ministry criticized the measure as unjust. Following his talks with Putin, Trump said that Washington may refrain from imposing import tariffs on Russia’s trade partners.
On August 15, a summit between Russia and the US leader took place at a military base in Alaska. Following the talks, Putin told the press that the summit mostly focused on resolving the Ukraine conflict. The Russian leader also called for a new beginning in bilateral relations and a return to cooperation. Also, he invited Trump to visit Moscow. In turn, the US stressed that "great progress" had been made, even as not all positions were agreed upon at the meeting.