External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who is on visit to Slovakia and the Czech Republic from June 2 to 6 to impart further momentum to bilateral relations with the two Central European countries, began his engagements in Prague by meeting a delegation of Czech members of European Parliament (MEPs).
Jaishankar also held discussions on India's ties with EU and the Czech Republic, the Indo-Pacific, food and energy security and digital cooperation.
"Began my engagements in Prague by meeting a delegation of Czech MEPs. A good discussion on India's ties with EU and the Czech Republic, the Indo-Pacific, food and energy security and digital cooperation," tweeted S Jaishankar.
During his visit to the Czech Republic, Jaishankar will hold discussions with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic Jan Lipavsky.
The discussions will provide an opportunity for a comprehensive review of bilateral cooperation. The Czech Republic will be taking over the EU Presidency from July 1, 2022.
In addition to meeting the political leadership, Jaishankar will also interact with a cross-section of the diaspora, including Indian students in the Czech Republic.
Meanwhile, India has said Europe must not see crude oil imports from Russia from a political lens.
Speaking at Globsec 2022 Bratislava forum, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said, "We don't send people to buy Russian oil, we send people to buy oil in the market, buy the best oil."
He also rubbished reports of trans-shipment of Russian fuel from India."Understand the oil market, there is an enormous shortage of oil, there is a physical shortage of oil, access to oil is difficult, a country like India would be crazy to get the oil from somebody else and sell to somebody else, this is nonsense," Jaishankar said.
"Europe has to grow up out of the mindset that Europe's problems are the world's problem but the world's problems are not Europe's problem, it is you it's yours, it is me it's ours," he added.
The External Affairs Minister also defended and justified the recent move to curtail wheat exports. He said Indian wheat was stocked and it was used for speculative trading.
( With inputs from ANI )
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