New Delhi: External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar on Wednesday met his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Moscow and discussed the international strategic situation, conflicts, and tensions.
During the meeting, Jaishankar told Lavrov that the India-Russia relationship has been "very strong and very steady". "I think we have lived up to a special and privileged strategic partnership. This year we have already met 6 times, and this is our 7th meet. Our Prime Minister and President Putin have also been in frequent contact," he told Lavrov.
Jaishankar noted that India expects strong Russian participation at the 'Vibrant Gujarat' meeting in January. During the meeting, both ministers focused on bilateral cooperation in different spheres, adjusting it to changing circumstances and demands, and discussed the international strategic situation, conflicts, and tensions.
Earlier, the Russian foreign ministry posted on X, "Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov greets Foreign Minister of India Dr Jaishankar at the Russian MFA Reception House in Moscow. The bilateral talks have commenced".
On Tuesday, EAM Jaishankar said that while there have been ups and downs in relationships between all countries, the only constant in global politics has been the ties between India and Russia. He was interacting with the Indian community at an event in Moscow on Tuesday. He also stressed that in the fields of defense, space, and nuclear energy, countries only cooperate with those with whom they have a high degree of trust.
Before the meeting, the Russian foreign ministry had said that Moscow and New Delhi are committed to multipolarity as an essential factor in maintaining balance in the world order that has emerged over the past decades.
Jaishankar is on a five-day visit to Russia to discuss various bilateral and global issues. He arrived in Moscow on Monday and interacted with leading representatives of the Russian strategic community and discussed connectivity, multilateralism, big power competition, and regional conflicts.
Ahead of his visit to Moscow, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Sunday said, "The time-tested India-Russia partnership has remained stable and resilient and continues to be characterized by the spirit of the Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership."
Jaishankar’s visit holds importance as India and Russia will not hold their annual leaders’ summit this year. The last summit was held in New Delhi in December 2021, and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s travels have been cut short since the start of the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The visit is seen as an opportunity for the Russian side to brief Jaishankar about the status of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. It is pertinent to note that India has publicly refrained from condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine and has pushed for dialogue and diplomacy as the only way forward. Despite sanctions from the West and European Union, India continued to buy oil from Russia and tried to maintain the strategic partnership.
The visit by Jaishankar comes on the heels of Russia becoming the chair of the BRICS grouping. However, the expansion of BRICS will also be discussed during the meeting. Remember, Pakistan is among the countries that have applied to join BRICS in 2024. Meanwhile, India has been raising concerns that the expansion should not make the group China-centric.
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