New Delhi (TIP)-The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday said Russia is not a major crude oil supplier for India and it “is always exploring all possibilities in the global energy markets” to bring home oil. The statement came amid reports that India is taking up Moscow’s offer of discounted crude oil and inching closer to setting up an alternative payments system to maintain its trade with Russia, even as the United States and its Western allies impose massive sanctions on the Kremlin for invading Ukraine. “We are always exploring all possibilities in global energy markets because of the situation of importing our oil requirements. I don’t think Russia has been a major supplier,” news agency ANI quoted MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi as saying. India is a major oil importer and as the war between Russia-Ukraine enters the fourth week, pressure on India to stop oil imports from Russia may increase with the West expected to slap another round of sanctions on Moscow. Speaking about the evacuation of Indians from war-torn Ukraine, the MEA spokesperson said India has brought back more than 22,500 of its citizens via alternative routes.

Source: HT