{ AMID E.U. SANCTIONS ON RUSSIA } 'Focus of oil procurement to ensure energy security'

India’s oil procurements will be done with an eye toward ensuring the country’s energy security and European nations need to strike a balance when dealing with matters such as energy-related sanctions, foreign secretary Vikram Misri said on Tuesday.

- Rezaul H Laskar

Misri acknowledged the security concerns behind recent sanctions imposed by the European Union (EU) on Russia over the war with Ukraine, but said the rest of the world too is dealing with “existential” issues. He ‘was responding to a question at amedia briefing on whether the West's energy-related sanctions will figure during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the UK beginning on Wednesday.

Referring to the sanctions package unveiled by EU last Friday, Misri said: “We have been very clear that...the highest priority of the government of India [is] to provide energy security for the people of India, and we will do what we need to do in regard to that.”