LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1840
TO BE ANSWERED ON 13.02.2019
INITIATIVES TO TACKLE OIL IMPORT ISSUE
†1840. SHRI BHAIRON PRASAD MISHRA:
Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Government has made any strategic efforts and taken any initiative to tackle the pressure being created on India and other countries by America and its administration for not importing oil from oil producing countries such as Iran and Iraq;
and
(b) if so, the details thereof ?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
[GEN. (DR) V. K. SINGH (RETD)]
(a) & (b) The U.S. announced its intent to withdraw from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on 08 May 2018. It subsequently re-imposed all its sanctions on Iran that had been lifted or waived in connection with the JCPOA in August and November 2018.
The U.S. sanctions on petroleum-related transactions, including the purchase of petroleum, petroleum products, or petrochemical products from Iran came into effect on 05 November 2018. In a media interaction on the same day, the U.S. Secretary of State, Michael
R. Pompeo said, "We have decided to issue temporary allotments to a handful of countries responsible to specific circumstances and to ensure a well-supplied oil market. The U.S. will be granting these exemptions to China, India, Italy, Greece, Japan, South
Korea, Taiwan, and Turkey.”
India has engaged with the U.S. to deal with the impact of these sanctions on India’s energy security, with a view to protecting our vital national interests.
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