India has defended the desicion it took in abstaining in the vote suspending Russia from the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC).
former External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh said the decision is in the country’s interest and in line with India’s foreign policy,
Singh said that India had no choice.
Russia has always supported India. It is a very very difficult situation and the decision taken by the Government is in India’s interest and in line with India’s foreign policy standards and commitments as a non-aligned country.
“World knows this that we follow an independent foreign policy,” he said.
Suspending a permanent Security Council member is a big event in the history of the United Nations but it will not change what Putin is doing, he further said.
On being asked about the US, which has threatened India with sanctions for enhancing ties with Moscow, he said that these sanctions have no international legal standing.
“It is applied by members like the US, Russia and other countries but legally it has no stand,” he said.
Internationally there is no such law or rule to impose sanctions on other countries. It is largely practised by Western Block as they are powerful. They can stop oil imports from Russia but the problem is that Germany is dependent upon oil and gas from Russia, he added.
“Every week they are strengthening the sanctions making life difficult for an average Russian citizen,” he further said.
