The Ministry of External Affairs on Friday pushed back against the recent sanctions by the European Union that targets a Rosneft-linked refinery in India. In an official statement, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that India does not recognise unilateral sanctions and urged the EU to avoid “double standards”, especially in energy trade.
“We have noted the latest sanctions announced by the European Union,” the official statement read. “India does not subscribe to any unilateral sanction measures. We are a responsible actor and remain fully committed to our legal obligations,” it added.
“Government of India considers the provision of energy security a responsibility of paramount importance to meet the basic needs of its citizens. We would stress that there should be no double standards, especially when it comes to energy trade,” he added.
According to the EU, the 18th Russia sanctions package focuses on five building blocks: cutting Russia’s energy revenues, hitting Russia’s banking sector, further weakening its military-industrial complex, strengthening anti-circumvention measures, and holding Russia accountable for its crimes against Ukrainian children and cultural heritage.
“With this package, the number of listed vessels in Russia’s shadow fleet reaches a total of 444 vessels, and the number of individual listings exceeds 2,500. This package also includes new sanctions against Belarus,” read the EU statement.