NEW DELHI: External affairs minister S Jaishankar responded to his EU counterpart Josep Borrell’s call for a ban on entry of refined petroleum products manufactured from Russian oil by citing EU’s own regulations that, he said, made it clear that Russian crude, if substantially transformed in a third country, is not treated as Russian any more.
Borrell had accused Indian authorities of circumventing the sanctions against Russia by “buying large volumes of Russian crude oil before processing it into fuels for sale in Europe” and called for a crackdown on it.
Asked about it in a press conference, where Borrell wasn’t present, Jaishankar advised all to look at EU Council regulations, saying this question had no basis. “My understanding of council regulations is that Russian crude substantially transformed in a third country is not treated as Russian any more. I would urge you to look at Council’s Regulation 833/2014,” he said. The regulation prohibits purchase, import, or transfer, directly or indirectly, of goods which generate significant revenues for Russia “thereby enabling its actions destabilising the situation in Ukraine”.
The two leaders also discussed the Ukraine situation separately in a bilateral meeting in which Borrell, according to EU, reiterated to Jaishankar EU’s unwavering resolve to support Ukraine, including its efforts to secure a comprehensive, just and lasting peace based on the UN Charter. The EU said that Borrell asked Jaishankar to support Ukraine’s peace initiative, and to urge Russia to agree on the crucial extension of the Black Sea Grain Initiative.
“He also recalled the EU’s commitment to continue addressing the consequences of Russia’s war against Ukraine, focusing on food security,” said the EU readout. They also exchanged views on expanding security and defence cooperation between the EU and India with special focus on cyber security.
“Progress in the implementation of the EU-India connectivity partnership, as well as developments in the region were also addressed. The High Representative (Borrell) underlined the EU’s close cooperation with India in the Indo-Pacific, as reaffirmed at the recent EU Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum on May 13in Stockholm,” said EU.
Borrell had accused Indian authorities of circumventing the sanctions against Russia by “buying large volumes of Russian crude oil before processing it into fuels for sale in Europe” and called for a crackdown on it.
Asked about it in a press conference, where Borrell wasn’t present, Jaishankar advised all to look at EU Council regulations, saying this question had no basis. “My understanding of council regulations is that Russian crude substantially transformed in a third country is not treated as Russian any more. I would urge you to look at Council’s Regulation 833/2014,” he said. The regulation prohibits purchase, import, or transfer, directly or indirectly, of goods which generate significant revenues for Russia “thereby enabling its actions destabilising the situation in Ukraine”.
The two leaders also discussed the Ukraine situation separately in a bilateral meeting in which Borrell, according to EU, reiterated to Jaishankar EU’s unwavering resolve to support Ukraine, including its efforts to secure a comprehensive, just and lasting peace based on the UN Charter. The EU said that Borrell asked Jaishankar to support Ukraine’s peace initiative, and to urge Russia to agree on the crucial extension of the Black Sea Grain Initiative.
“He also recalled the EU’s commitment to continue addressing the consequences of Russia’s war against Ukraine, focusing on food security,” said the EU readout. They also exchanged views on expanding security and defence cooperation between the EU and India with special focus on cyber security.
“Progress in the implementation of the EU-India connectivity partnership, as well as developments in the region were also addressed. The High Representative (Borrell) underlined the EU’s close cooperation with India in the Indo-Pacific, as reaffirmed at the recent EU Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum on May 13in Stockholm,” said EU.