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India calls CREA report misleading and deceptive efforts to tarnish image
Weeks after Finland based independent international research organisation Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) published its report stating India is purchasing cheap Russian crude oil and converting it into refined petroleum products, which are “laundered” in Europe and G7 countries, ministry of petroleum and natural gas rebutted the charges and called the report misleading and a deceptive effort to tarnish India’s image.
CREA’s report ‘Laundromat: How the price cap coalition whitewashes Russian oil in third countries’ was published on April 19 had said that India is leading the group of ‘laundromat countries’ that buy discounted crude oil from Russia, refine it, and sell the processed products to European countries, thus sidestepping European sanctions against Russia. The ‘laundromat countries’ mentioned in the report are China, India, Turkey, the UAE, and Singapore.
While responding to the same charges, the ministry said on Wednesday, “India is free to import or export goods and commodities within the terms of international law and calling its legitimate business as ‘laundromat’ implies an illegal activity to which India strongly objects. It shows a lack of understanding of global supply demand dynamics and India’s long history as a major refined products exporter. Crude Oil import below $60 from Russia or elsewhere not under any international embargo. There is also no self-embargo by ‘coalition country’ on buying Diesel refiners around the world. To use word like ‘Whitewashed oil’ is disingenuous at best or mischievous at worst,” the ministry said in its statement.
“India meets its energy requirements through imports from multiple countries including Russia. India has never shied away from this fact nor is it apologetic about it as evidenced by multiple ministerial statements over the last year. As far as exports go, as the largest democracy and a country governed by law, Companies in India are free to run their businesses as per law & the Govt does not put restrictions on them in their legitimate business pursuits,” it added.
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