In what may be music to the ears of US secretary of state Hillary Clinton, who arrives here Monday, Iran is no longer India’s second largest oil supplier.
After initially resisting US pressure to adhere to international sanctions on Iran, New Delhi eventually had to yield ground. After Saudi Arabia, Iran was India’s second largest source of oil. Now, after being forced to cut Iranian imports, Iraq is this country’s second largest oil source.
Officials accompanying Ms Clinton, who began a three-day India visit in Kolkata Sunday, indicated on top of her agenda was seeking assurances from New Delhi that it would reduce its dependence on Iranian oil imports.
“The trend lines are good, but we really need assurances that they are going to continue to make good progress,” a US official said.
India is well aware it too could face US sactions by late June if Washington feels it has not significantly reduced Iranian imports.
On Monday, Ms Clinton meets Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, where she will raise Iran, besides bilateral issues like civil nuclear cooperation. Pakistan and Afghanistan, likely to figure in the Indo-US strategic dialogue in Washington on June 13, may also figure.
These issues are again expected to come up for discussion when Ms Clinton meets external affairs minister S.M. Krishna here on Tuesday.