Washington: US President Donald Trump has described Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a "great man" and India as "an incredible country", adding that he is open to meeting the Prime Minister on the sidelines of the upcoming ASEAN Summit in Malaysia.
When asked about a potential meeting with the Prime Minister in Malaysia during a press conference at the White House, Trump said, "Yeah, sure, he's a friend of mine. We have a great relationship."
"He's a great man. He loves Trump…I have watched India for years. It's an incredible country, and every single year you'd have a new leader. I mean, some would be in there for a few months, and this was year after year after year. And my friend has been there now for a long time," he added.
Trump also claimed that he has been "assured" that India won't be buying oil from Russia, while adding that he understands that it can't be done "immediately". However, India has not yet responded to this claim.
"He assured me that they will not be buying oil from Russia…You can't do it immediately. It's a little bit of a process, but the process is going to be over soon, and all we want from President Putin…is to stop this," he noted.
He added that if India doesn't buy Russian oil, it makes it "much easier" to end the conflict. "Within a short period of time, they will not be buying oil from Russia, and they'll go back to Russia after the war's over," he emphasized.
India’s energy imports guided by ‘consumer interests’
Meanwhile, India has made it clear that the country’s import policy for oil and gas is guided entirely by the interests of the Indian consumers amid a volatile global energy market.
Russian Ambassador to India Denis Alipov has said that New Delhi's energy policy is guided solely by national interests and the welfare of its people. Speaking to reporters, Alipov said, "The Indian government is having in mind the national interest of this country in the first place, and our cooperation in energy is very much in tune with those interests."
