Middle East Energy Crisis: ASEAN Countries Procure Russian Oil
According to reports from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim recently reminded citizens to continue monitoring developments of the global energy crisis triggered by the Middle East conflict, as this crisis is expected to remain unresolved in the short term.
Since the outbreak of the war in the Middle East at the end of February, Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has disrupted global energy supply routes, allowing only a limited number of vessels—including Malaysian tankers—to pass through. Nevertheless, seven Malaysian tankers are currently still waiting to transit through the Strait of Hormuz.
On Saturday, Anwar revealed that to ensure sufficient fuel supplies, Malaysia’s national oil company will be negotiating with Russia for oil purchases. Anwar stated that many Western countries previously imposing sanctions on Russia are now competing to buy Russian oil. Fortunately, Malaysia maintains good relations with Russia, which facilitates oil procurement negotiations.
It was also disclosed that Indonesia has recently reached an agreement with Russia to import oil and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), securing domestic energy supply in Indonesia. However, Indonesia did not disclose specific volumes or transaction scales.
Previously, Malaysia and Indonesia had collaborated with Pakistan, Gulf states, and Turkey to support U.S.-Iran peace talks aimed at resolving the Middle East conflict through diplomatic means. Anwar warned that no negotiation should ignore the essential precondition of fairness—simply demanding Iran’s surrender without addressing the root causes of the conflict is unacceptable.
Source: rfi
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1862909479442439/
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