New Delhi, March 19 (NationPress) On Thursday, India affirmed its ongoing commitment to support Bangladesh and other neighboring nations regarding their energy supply needs, all while balancing its own domestic requirements, refining capabilities, and the availability of diesel.

During a weekly press briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal emphasized that New Delhi has received energy supply requests from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives, and additional neighboring countries.

He pointed out that India has been delivering diesel to Bangladesh since 2007 via various transportation methods and continues to provide assistance to this South Asian nation along with its other neighbors.

“In terms of energy, we have received requests from multiple neighboring countries, and I have previously mentioned this. We have received requests from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives, and some other neighboring nations. As noted earlier, India has been supplying diesel to Bangladesh since 2007 through various means of transportation. We are still assisting Bangladesh and our other neighbors at this time. This assistance is being provided while considering our own needs, refining capacity, and diesel availability,” Jaiswal stated.

With energy shipping routes affected due to the ongoing conflict in West Asia, he noted that the supply of LPG poses a challenge.

“Thus, we are prioritizing our domestic consumption and the needs of domestic consumers. Their requirements will be addressed first, and then we will determine how to manage LPG supply to commercial entities. However, this remains a pressing issue due to the supply shortage,” he added.

Recently, while highlighting India's role as a leading exporter of refined petroleum products, particularly to neighboring regions, the MEA announced that it is currently reviewing a request from Bangladesh for diesel supply.

“India stands as a significant exporter of refined petroleum products, especially to our neighboring countries. We have received a request from the government of Bangladesh for diesel supply, which is under evaluation. Given our development-oriented approach towards our relations with Bangladesh, we have been providing diesel from the Numaligarh refinery since 2007 through several transportation modes, including waterways, rail, and subsequently through the India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline,” the MEA reported.

“A sale and purchase agreement was established in October 2017 between Numaligarh Refinery and Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation for the supply of high-speed diesel under mutually agreed terms. It is noteworthy that while diesel exports to Bangladesh have largely continued since 2017, India’s refining capacity, our own requirements, and diesel availability will be considered when making decisions,” Jaiswal mentioned last week.

The government has consistently stated that it has received similar requests from other nations that are being reviewed while taking into account India’s domestic energy needs and availability.