Will ensure uninterrupted oil, gas supplies to India: Russia

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Wednesday accused the United States of trying to “seize all important energy routes” globally, while asserting that India’s energy security and strategic interests would remain insulated from geopolitical pressures and Western sanctions on Moscow.

In an interview to RT, a Russian state-controlled international news television network, ahead of the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ meeting in New Delhi, Lavrov said Russia would continue honouring its energy commitments to India despite sustained Western attempts to curb Russian oil exports. Lavrov, who arrived in the national capital ahead of the two-day BRICS deliberations beginning Thursday, said Moscow remained a reliable partner and would ensure uninterrupted supplies of oil, gas and other energy resources to India.

“Their goal is to seize everything, all important energy routes,” Lavrov said, alleging that Washington was mounting pressure on countries to stop buying discounted Russian oil and gas. He termed such efforts “unfair competition” and described them as “neocolonial methods” aimed at weakening independent economic partnerships. He also took aim at European nations for reducing dependence on Russian energy, claiming the shift was driven more by politics than market realities.

According to Lavrov, Europe’s move away from Russian oil and gas had resulted in soaring energy costs and deeper dependence on expensive American LNG supplies.

Emphasising the depth of India-Russia ties, Lavrov said the partnership had withstood decades of geopolitical turbulence and continued to expand across defence, energy and technology sectors.

Referring to the Kudankulam nuclear power project and ongoing defence cooperation, he said ties between New Delhi and Moscow were “impossible to destroy”.