Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], January 7 : Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Wednesday underscored India's long-standing multi-aligned foreign policy approach amid latest remarks by US President Donald Trump on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, trade tariffs and India's purchase of Russian oil.
"Every country has its national interest uppermost in mind. For me, those national interests mean we don't want to create major enemies or major problems for ourselves anywhere. We want to preserve channels of communication with everyone, as far as possible," Tharoor told reporters.
Tharoor was responding to Trump's remark where the latter, while interacting with reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday (local time), said it was important for India to keep him happy on the issue of Russian Oil Imports."PM Modi's a very good man. He's a good guy. He knew I was not happy. It was important to make me happy. They do trade, and we can raise tariffs on them very quickly," Trump said.
Tharoor said that India should continue to focus on "good relations with Russia, decent relations with China, good relations with America, opening up to Europe, trying to develop new avenues in Africa, trying to improve the situation with Australia and New Zealand. We have the Japanese, South Korean and Southeast Asian countries".
"All of these things are part of a policy of maximising our options. In life, in politics, in diplomacy, very often, the more options you have, the more you are protected from the vagaries of any one country doing anything to you. Let's leave it there for now," he added.
Trump has repeatedly warned New Delhi that Washington could further raise tariffs on Indian goods if India does not address US concerns over Russian oil imports, directly linking the issue to the Russia-Ukraine war. He has accused India of strengthening Moscow by buying discounted crude and has suggested that tariffs could be used to influence India's actions.
India, however, has earlier rejected Trump's assertion that Prime Minister Modi had assured him that New Delhi would stop purchasing Russian oil, clarifying that no such assurance or conversation had taken place.