US can’t put conditions on India to buy Russian oil as it affects our sovereignty: Ex-NSA Narayanan

NEW DELHI: Former National Security Adviser and Intelligence Bureau chief M K Narayanan said on Wednesday “our country has every right to buy oil from wherever it is available” and that no country should impose condition on India, and that Pakistan won’t “dare go for another conflict with India” in the immediate future especially after Operation Sindoor.

In an interview to TOI on the sidelines of Synergia Conclave in Delhi, Naryanan, when asked about another conflict with Pakistan, said, “Pakistan has enough problems to handle — with Afghanistan and Balochistan — to dare go for another conflict with India.” He further said, “I don’t think another war with Pakistan is imminent.”




On US putting conditions on India over Russian oil imports, Narayanan, who served as IB chief for two terms between 2005 and 2014, said, “We have always borrowed the policy of dynamic neutrality. We have not sided with one country. Russia has been giving us crude oil and we have been accepting it. We will normally buy oil from wherever it is available based on its prices. The US wants us to reduce the quota and quantity of oil that we buy from Russia. Numerically, we need to make some changes. That is fine. But when it becomes a condition that is applied to you, then it affects our sovereignty. We have to balance things (as per our interest).”

Slamming the US pressure on India over Russian oil imports, he said, “We don’t want to create problems for ourselves and we don’t want to create problems with other countries. There is a limit beyond which a country can compel us to do the following. The (Indian) govt knows it as the foreign minister has said recently. There are issues coming up and they have to deal with it.”

On the US torpedo attack on an Iranian warship in the international waters off the Sri Lanka coast, Narayanan said, “There are international rules (in the maritime world). The attack on the Iranian warship (IRIS Dena by a US submarine) when that ship was on a friendly visit to India as it participated in our exercise was an embarrassment for India”.

About a query on relations with the Iranian leadership, the former governor said, “There is nothing unusual. We have always interacted with Iranian leaders and we have played a role in trying to stabilise the situation.”

About the India-China face-off along the LAC, the former intel boss said, “India and China are old civilisations. It is important for us to have peace on the border. I have been part of this process for several years. I understand India and China can’t be on the same side, certainly they should not be on the opposite side. We had long periods of peace. If some time things go out of hand, it is important for us to bring it back (to the normal situation). There are the same voices in China also. Today, China doesn’t want a conflict with India on the border as it has its own problem.” On China ties, he further said, “Indian diplomacy can be better handled by our diplomats and strategic thinkers. Please don’t outsource it to the US or the West. We have a better understanding of China”.

Narayanan said that India should maintain good relations with the new leadership in Bangladesh. “We are a bigger country. We have a vested interest in Bangladesh. So, we have to ensure good relations. Economically too, it makes sense.”
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