As the year progresses, anticipation is building around a potential visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin to India before its end. This was announced by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during a recent meeting with Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in Moscow.
The high-level discussions between Lavrov and Jaishankar underscored the robust and enduring strategic partnership between Russia and India. Lavrov highlighted the dynamic political interaction between the two nations, spanning from the highest levels of leadership to various government agencies. He also mentioned that both countries are preparing a substantial package of documents for the upcoming summit.
Jaishankar echoed Lavrov's sentiments, recalling past meetings between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Putin in Moscow and Kazan. He emphasized the ongoing preparations for the annual summit, with a focus on advancing bilateral discussions to achieve maximum results.
The relationship between India and Russia has remained strong and consistent since World War II. Despite a changing global order, both countries share a vision of a multipolar system of international relations, with significant roles for organizations like the SCO, BRICS, and the G20, alongside the United Nations.
In addition to political cooperation, discussions also covered trade, economic ties, energy security, and defense. Lavrov noted the record figures in trade turnover between Russia and India. Moscow is also considering boosting oil deliveries to India. Jaishankar stressed the importance of sustaining energy cooperation through trade and investments with Russia. Both ministers expressed interest in joint projects related to energy production in the Russian Far East and the Arctic shelf.
The meeting occurred amidst evolving geopolitical dynamics, including trade tensions between India and the United States. Washington has imposed tariffs on Indian goods and crude oil purchases from Russia, raising concerns in New Delhi. Jaishankar expressed his perplexity regarding the logic behind the U.S.'s assertion that the tariffs are a consequence of India's oil imports from Russia. Despite these external pressures, both India and Russia reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening their strategic partnership and expanding cooperation across various sectors.
