External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who is currently on his five-day trip to Russia, will meet his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Moscow on Wednesday to hold talks on a number of issues including the Israel-Hamas war and Ukraine. The EAM's visit comes as the top leadership in Moscow aimed at bolstering bilateral ties.
The two ministers will discuss building transport, banking and financial chains at the upcoming negotiations, Sputnik reported citing the Russian Foreign Ministry on Tuesday. The ministers will also discuss security in the Indo-Pacific region, the situation in Ukraine and Afghanistan, as well as the Israeli-Palestine confrontation, as per the statement.
"The main emphasis will be on promoting the further building of sustainable transport, logistics and banking and financial chains, and expanding the use of national currencies in mutual settlements. It is planned to touch upon issues of cooperation in high-tech areas, including space and nuclear, as well as the implementation of joint projects for the development of hydrocarbons on the Arctic shelf and the Russian Far East," said the Russian Ministry.
Jaishankar's visit to Russia
Jaishankar on Monday said that he was looking forward to his engagements in Russia, including his meetings with the country's leadership as he arrived in the country. "Geopolitics and strategic convergence will always keep India-Russia ties on a positive trajectory," he said as he interacted with strategic experts.
His visit is also dubbed crucial as it comes nearly three months before the country is scheduled to hold Presidential elections which the incumbent Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin is expected to return to the chair despite his decision to launch a special military operation against its neighbouring country, Ukraine.
"The time-tested India-Russia partnership has remained stable and resilient and continues to be characterised by the spirit of the Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership," said the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) ahead of his visit
During the visit, the MEA said that Jaishankar would meet Russia’s deputy prime minister Denis Manturov, who is also the industry and trade minister. It is expected that the duo would finalise deals related to trade. However, it was not clear whether the minister will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Moreover, it was expected that Jaishankar would discuss the expansion of BRICS amid reports Pakistan is willing to join the bloc under the presidency of Moscow. India's import of Russian crude oil has gone up significantly despite increasing disquiet over it in many Western countries.
The ties between India and Russia remained strong notwithstanding Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. India has not yet condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine and it has been maintaining that the crisis must be resolved through diplomacy and dialogue.
(with inputs from PTI)
