New Delhi: Russian Ambassador to India Denis Alipov on Thursday dismissed US President Donald Trump’s claim that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had assured him India would stop buying oil from Russia, asserting 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.”

He emphasised that Russian oil supplies have been “very beneficial for the Indian economy and for the welfare of Indian people,” adding that the Indian leadership has repeatedly stated the rationale behind its “extensive cooperation” with Moscow in the energy sector.

Alipov’s

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