New Delhi [India], October 16 (ANI): Former Foreign Secretary and Rajya Sabha MP Harsh Vardhan Shringla on Thursday weighed in on US President Donald Trump's claim that India had agreed to stop purchasing oil from Russia, saying that New Delhi maintains strong ties with both Washington DC and Moscow and that each bilateral relationship should be viewed on its own merits.

Speaking to ANI, Shringla said, 'Our relations with both the US and Russia are good. I don't know on what basis President Trump made the statement. I am not in government, and I am not aware of what was spoken of. Generally, each bilateral relationship should be evaluated on its own merits.'

His remarks followed the Ministry of External Affairs' (MEA) reaffirmation of India's independent approach to energy sourcing, after comments by US President Donald Trump, who claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had assured him that India would stop purchasing oil from Russia.

Earlier, Trump, during a media interaction in Washington, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had assured him that India would stop purchasing oil from Russia, describing it as 'a big step' in efforts to increase global pressure on Moscow.

Responding to ANI's question on whether he viewed India as a reliable partner, Trump said, 'Yeah, sure. He's (PM Narendra Modi) a friend of mine. We have a great relationship...I was not happy that India was buying oil. And he assured me today that they will not be buying oil from Russia. That's a big stop. Now we've got to get China to do the same thing...'

In response to such remarks, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) reaffirmed India's independent energy policy, stating that the country's energy sourcing is guided by its national interests and the need to protect Indian consumers.

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, 'India is a significant importer of oil and gas. It has been our consistent priority to safeguard the interests of the Indian consumer in a volatile energy scenario. Our import policies are guided entirely by this objective. Ensuring stable energy prices and secured supplies have been the twin goals of our energy policy. This includes broad-basing our energy sourcing and diversifying as appropriate to meet market conditions.'

'Where the US is concerned, we have for many years sought to expand our energy procurement. This has steadily progressed in the last decade. The current Administration has shown interest in deepening energy cooperation with India. Discussions are ongoing,' he added. (ANI)