‘Russia Becomes India's Largest Oil Supplier”: Russian Ambassador at ICWA-Russian Council Dialogue

Russian Ambassador to India Denis Alipov stated at the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA)-Russian Council Dialogue that Russia has become India's largest oil supplier and contributes significantly to the country's energy security.

"Russia has become India's largest oil supplier, significantly contributing to India's energy security," Alipov said at the Indian Council of World Affairs-Russian Council Dialogue. We are successfully developing the North-South ITC to attract partners to large-scale energy and infrastructure projects in the Russian forest in Siberia for the northern sea route."

He also stated that business and interregional contexts have received a strong push. Airport infrastructure, sea and rail infrastructure, steel production, petro-chemistry, startups, aircraft and shipbuilding, agriculture, advanced technology, development, and digitalisation all have enormous potential.

The Russian Ambassador also stated in his address that India has taken a neutral stance on excluding Moscow from multilateral institutions.

"India has taken a neutral stance as regards the efforts to exclude Russia from multilateral institutions, including Opcwbwc, back to UNESCO and others. Our priority in India is to achieve democracy as global governance. With the increased role of developing Asian, African, and Latin American countries," Alipov said.

"The Ukraine conflict is not a land-grabbing attempt by Russia to restore them, as is being presented," he said of the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, which began last year on February 24. "It is the result of consistent violations of the same universal principles enshrined in the Russia-India treaty, as well as the refusal of the dominant world centres to embrace democracy in international relations. It is not by chance that the Indian position defending its legitimate national interests and Prime Minister of Sovereign Decisions is being criticized against this backdrop. Russia and India share a vast network of platforms and groupings that help promote the future global agenda for the benefit of the international community as a whole."

Since the outbreak of the armed military conflict with Ukraine, Delhi-Moscow ties have received considerable attention, particularly with regard to the purchase of Russian oil.