EAM Jaishankar raises India’s concerns over Russia oil tariff law with US Secretary of State (Lead)

United Nations, Sep 23 (IANS) External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar raised India’s concerns over the recent legislation to impose a 100 per cent tariff on buyers of Russian oil with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in New York on Wednesday.

EAM Jaishankar wrote on X after their meeting that he “reiterated India’s interests and concerns with regard to SRIA”, the Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act.

If enforced, the tariff would impact India’s exports to the US and come in the way of the trade agreement being negotiated by the two countries.

After the legislation, named after the late hawkish Senator Lindsay Graham, was passed, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said defiantly: “India remains firmly committed to ensuring energy security for its 1.4 billion people.”

“It will continue to do so through diversified sourcing and on the basis of evolving market dynamics” the MEA said.

It is estimated that about 37 per cent of Russia’s oil exports go to India.

Trump had selectively imposed a 25 per cent tariff on India for buying Russian oil, but rescinded it in February.

Rubio, in his X post about their meeting, was silent on SRIA.

“Together, we are building on the US-India strategic partnership and coordinating on key regional priorities and upcoming multilateral efforts,” he posted.

The meeting between Jaishankar and Rubio came on the eve of the scheduled meeting between President Donald Trump of the US and President Xi Jinping of China in Washington.

Jaishankar said they also “discussed the Gulf and Ukraine situations”.

The choking of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz in the aftermath of the attack on Iran by Israel and the US has had a significant impact on India, which is a major importer of oil from the Gulf region.

Last month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Russia’s President Vladimir Putin publicly in strong terms that in the name of humanity he should end the Ukraine war.

The meeting with Rubio is among the series of high-level whirlwind meetings that Jaishankar has been having on the sidelines of the General Assembly’s high-level week, with world leaders and top diplomats gathered here.

While the issues of the SRIA and inconclusive trade deal hang over the Washington-India relations, cooperation has been continuing in other areas.

The US, along with India, is a member of the Quad, along with Japan and Australia, and they have been working together on aspects of security in the Indo-Pacific region.

At the Quad Foreign Ministers’ meeting in New Delhi in May, they reiterated their cooperation on maritime security, port infrastructure and energy.

This was seen as an effort to counter concerns about China’s growing influence in the region.

–IANS

al/ksk/vd