The Indian Foreign Minister on Monday defended his country's right to buy a missile defense system from Russia despite the threat of US sanctions.
On a visit to Washington, Foreign Minister S Jaishankar said that India was discussing the concerns of the United States, but refused to predict the final decision on the fate of the purchase of the S-400 from Russia.
"We have always maintained that what we buy, the supply of military equipment, is largely a sovereign right," he told reporters before a meeting with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
"We would not like any state to tell us what to buy or not to buy from Russia more than we would like any state to tell us to buy or not to the United States," he said.
"That freedom of choice is ours and we believe it is in everyone's interest to recognize that," he said.
India, an ally of the Soviet Union in the Cold War, agreed last year to buy five S-400 systems for $ 5.2 billion, and Russia has said delivery is on its way.
Read: Russia and India sign a $ 5 billion deal for the S-400 air defense system
According to a 2017 law, the United States imposes sanctions against countries for the purchase of "important" weapons from Russia due to Moscow's military participation in Ukraine and Syria and the alleged interference in US elections.
Turkey, a NATO ally, in June angered the United States by moving forward with a purchase of the S-400.
Read: Turkey ignores US warnings about Russian S-400 missile deployment
President Donald Trump responded by ending Turkey's participation in the F-35 fighter jet program, but has not yet announced other sanctions.
Jaishankar praised the warm relations in general with the United States, but stressed India's differences with Trump's aggressive stance on Iran.
The United States has threatened sanctions to force all countries to stop buying oil from Iran, as it seeks to curb the influence of the clerical regime in the Middle East.
In May, the Trump administration finalized exemptions for countries like India, formerly a leading Iranian oil customer.
"We see Iran from the east, and from the east Iran has been a very stable status quo power," Jaishankar said.
For India, "we have been repeatedly assured that affordable and predictable access to energy will not change," he said, and declined to comment further on discussions about Iran.
India has teamed up to expand the Iranian port of Chabahar, a way to ensure a supply route to Afghanistan that overlooks Pakistan.
Source: https://www.dawn.com/news/1508367/india-defends-right-to-buy-russian-arms-on-us-trip