NEW DELHI: Following the announcement of US sanctions on Indian entities for links with Russia, the Centre on Saturday said it’s in touch with American authorities to “clarify issues” and that, according to its own understanding, the sanctioned transactions and companies are “not in violation of Indian laws“.
While it underlined India’s “robust” legal and regulatory framework on strategic trade and non-proliferation controls, the ministry of external affairs also said that it is working with relevant departments to sensitise Indian companies about export control provisions. The US this week announced sanctions on hundreds of entities, including 19 Indian companies, for transactions that, it said, supported Russia’s war against Ukraine.
“We are also a member of three key multilateral non-proliferation export control regimes – Wassenaar Arrangement, Australia Group, and Missile Technology Control Regime, and have been effectively implementing relevant UNSC sanctions and UNSC Resolution 1540 on non-proliferation. Our understanding is that the sanctioned transactions and companies are not in violation of Indian laws,” said MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal.
“Nevertheless, in keeping with our established non-proliferation credentials, we are working with all relevant Indian departments and agencies to sensitise Indian companies on applicable export control provisions, as also inform them on new measures being implemented that could impact Indian companies in certain circumstances,” he said.
According to the spokesperson, regular strategic trade/export control outreach events for Indian industries and stakeholders are being carried out by agencies of the Indian govt. “We are also in touch with the US authorities to clarify issues,” he said.
The US department of treasury said in a statement on Thursday that companies from China, Switzerland, Thailand, and Turkiye have also been slapped with sanctions for supplying Russia with advanced technology and equipment that it desperately needs to support its war machine.
In addition to disrupting global evasion networks, this action targets domestic Russian importers and producers of key inputs & other material for Russia’s military-industrial base, the statement added.