India and Russia have agreed to strengthen their trade relations on Thursday, during the meeting of their foreign ministers in Moscow, without giving evidence that the high duties imposed by US President Donald Trump in India on the market for Russian oil will be disturbed.

Indian products are subject to additional US duties reaching up to 50%, one of the highest imposed by Washington, due to the increase in Russian oil markets by New Delhi.

Western countries that boycott Russian crude oil claim that India’s markets are helping to finance the Moscow war in Ukraine. However, New Delhi argues that its markets are purely trade and accuses the US and the European Union of double standards, noting that they themselves continue to maintain significant trade relations with Moscow.

“We have good results in hydrocarbon cooperation, in the supply of Russian oil to the Indian market. And we have a mutual interest in the implementation of joint projects to extract energy resources, including in the Russian Federation – in the Far East and in the Arctic continental shelf, “Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said at a joint press conference with Indian Foreign Minister.

Jaishankar said relations between the two countries were one of the most stable among the great countries in the world since World War II, referring to a close friendship dating from the Soviet Union.

The two countries have confirmed their intention to expand bilateral trade, among other things, increasing India’s exports to Russia, according to a statement by the Indian Foreign Ministry.

“This (the expansion of trade) requires the rapid treatment of non -tariff barriers and regulatory barriers,” Jaishankar said. “Strengthening Indian exports to Russia in areas such as medicinal products, agriculture and textiles will certainly contribute to the correction of current imbalance.”

Russia has managed to divert oil exports, a significant source of state revenue, from Europe mainly to China and India, after imposing sanctions from the West on Moscow due to the conflict in Ukraine.

India and China are the largest buyers of Russian oil.

Russian Embassy officials in New Delhi said on Wednesday that Russia is expected to continue to supply India with oil despite pressure from the United States, adding that Moscow hopes that there will soon be three trilateral talks with India.