U.S. lauds India's efforts in cutting down oil imports from Iran

NEW DELHI, June 24 (Xinhua) -- The United States Monday hailed India's efforts in cutting down its dependency on oil imports from Iran, terming it as an "important step".

"We are appreciative that India has worked hard to reduce its dependency on Iranian oil and that has been an important step," visiting U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry told local media after a meeting with Indian External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid in the national capital.

Kerry arrived in the Indian capital Sunday on a three-day trip to attend the fourth edition of the India-U.S. Strategic Dialogue.

Iran was India's third-largest crude oil supplier. But, with New Delhi cutting its oil imports from Tehran following U.S. sanctions, the Persian Gulf nation has slipped to four places below to become this country's seventh largest crude oil supplier in the current fiscal year.

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