Strategic convergence to keep India-Russia ties positive: Jaishankar
The minister had an open and forward-looking interaction with leading representatives of the Russian strategic community in Moscow
Geopolitics and strategic convergence will keep India-Russia ties on a positive trajectory, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said ahead of his talks with his Russian counterpart and other leaders in Moscow.
Jaishankar, on a five-day visit to Russia, will meet his counterpart Sergey Lavrov to discuss bilateral and global issues.
He said he had an open and forward-looking interaction with leading representatives of the Russian strategic community where he spoke on the importance of rebalancing and the emergence of multipolarity.
The minister said he also discussed connectivity, multilateralism, big power competition and regional conflicts. "Geopolitics and strategic convergence will always keep India-Russia ties on a positive trajectory," Jaishankar said.
Economic issues
Jaishankar will also meet Russia's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov to discuss economic issues. The discussions with Lavrov will cover bilateral, multilateral and international issues.
"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," the external affairs ministry said ahead of Jaishankar's visit.
The Indian and Russian sides are expected to discuss trade, energy, defence and connectivity. India's import of Russian crude oil has gone up significantly despite increasing disquiet over it in many Western countries. In another post, Jaishankar shared his 1962 invite, when he was a child, to celebrate space exploration by Soviet cosmonauts.
(With agency inputs)