Ex-Indian envoys to Russia, Ukraine calls Jaishankar's Moscow visit 'significant'

While stressing on strategic partnership between India and Russia, the other envoy believes that to take the relationship forward, interaction on a regular basis is important.

New Delhi: Ahead of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's Moscow visit later today, Indian envoys to Ukraine and Russia called the visit 'significant' highlighting the fact that it will also catch global attention as India prepares to take over the chair of G20.

"It's a very important visit - maintaining high contacts at the foreign minister level and review of economic cooperation at the deputy prime minister level, Dr Jaishakar's visit to Moscow will also catch global attention as India prepares to take over the chair of G20; as leader of the global south, India will voice widespread aspirations for an early end to Ukraine conflict and return to diplomacy and negotiations - a point that has been repeatedly stressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his interactions with global leaders", said Venkatesh Varma, former Indian Ambassador to Russia.

While stressing on strategic partnership between India and Russia, the other envoy believes that to take the relationship forward, interaction on a regular basis is important.

"Our relationship with Russia is on a much higher level, on a strategic level, when you have increased the status to that level, you have to have interaction on a regular basis. Things develop so fast on the international circuit that you have to take into account what has happened. And what is its impact? How is our relationship going to be impacted by that? So, it's a regular interaction session, which has to continue from both sides," said VB Soni, former Indian Ambassador to Ukraine.

"And we do it alternately once the host, we host the foreign government representative, and the next time we go there to be for the same purpose. So, this is, therefore, a regular consultation mechanism that we have set into motion. These are what is called the Joint Commission between the two governments set up with the specific purpose of identifying different areas. We want to take the relationship forward so therefore External Affairs minister visit is in the context of our regular consultation", he added.

"It is happening in the backdrop of certain developments which are going to take place, which have an impact on our relationship. So, I believe that this is the purpose of this consultation. First, to get to know each other, you have your regular consultation, come to realize what is happening, and exchange views, because these are the mechanism where we must know how a friend feels about a particular issue and then take the development forward. So, that is the purpose of the visit", he said.

Jaishankar is travelling to Russia on Monday to co-chair a meeting of the bilateral Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation (IRIGC-TEC) with Russian trade minister Denis Manturov, and to hold talks with his counterpart Sergey Lavrov.

The visit comes ahead of the G20 summit in Bali, where the top leaders of Russia will come face to face with Western leaders for the first time since the beginning of the war in Ukraine in February.

In response to this question on if there is a possibility of a meeting between Russian and United States top leaders at the G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia, the former envoy said that he 'hopes that the meeting does take place and 'that will be a very positive step'.

"Any multilateral gathering, particularly in the atmosphere like this which has happened, there is a lot of tension in the air between two sides and if we can do something to diffuse the tension or at least get to know each other viewpoint, that is the purpose of multilateralism discussion. So, I hope that the meeting does take place because instead of fighting through media and making statements, the issues can be discussed directly. Because then it has a better chance to succeed otherwise the whole meaning gets lost and we do not really know what is the stance of the two sides, " the envoy said.

"So, if the two leaders were to meet, to my mind, it will be a very positive step. They may not be able to iron out all the differences because these can't be done in one or two meetings but it prepares the ground, it prepares the atmosphere because when you are not meeting each other for so long, you imagine certain things. So, I hope that the two leaders do meet because as you know the President of Ukraine has said that there will be no discussion on their bilateral front unless certain actions have been taken by Russian President Vladimir Putin in terms of various things which they have done" the envoy added. (ANI)

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