India prioritizes energy security after EU targets Gujarat refinery

India reaffirmed on Tuesday that its top priority is ensuring energy security for its citizens, even as the European Union imposed sanctions on a Gujarat-based refinery as part of its latest measures against Russia,according to information.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri emphasized India’s position while briefing reporters on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming visit to the United Kingdom. “We have been very clear that insofar as energy security is concerned, it is the highest priority of the Government of India to provide energy security for the people of India, and we will do what we need to do about that,” Misri stated.He added, “On energy-related issues, it is important not to have double standards and to have a clear-eyed perception of what the global situation is insofar as the broader energy market is concerned.”
The remarks come after the EU unveiled its 18th sanctions package aimed at curbing Russia’s revenue from energy exports amid the ongoing war in Ukraine. The package includes restrictions on Nayara Energy’s refinery in Vadinar, Gujarat, which is partially owned by Russia’s state-run company Rosneft. The move targets refined petroleum products produced from Russian crude in third countries.
The EU sanctions follow recent warnings from NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte to India, Brazil, and China against purchasing Russian energy. India, however, reiterated its strategic autonomy last week and signaled openness to reviving trilateral talks with Russia and China, underscoring that its oil imports help stabilize global energy markets.
Despite criticism from the U.S. and other Western nations, India significantly ramped up Russian crude imports after the Ukraine conflict began, noting that European nations imported more oil from Russia than India in the same period.