India, Oct. 17 -- Russian envoy to India Denis Alipov on Thursday reaffirmed the strategic and economic importance of Russian oil exports to India, calling the partnership "highly beneficial" and aligned with India's interests.
Alipov's remarks come after US President Donald Trump's recent claim that Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured him on cutting back on Russian oil imports.
Alipov defended India's approach to energy procurement. "The Indian Government acts based on its national interests, and our energy cooperation supports those interests," he said, underlining that Russia-India ties are driven by mutual benefit, not external pressures.
He stressed that the India-Russia relationship, particularly in the energy sector, is not direc...