Moscow [Russia], November 8 (ANI): Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said he apprised External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar about the course of a “special military operation” in Ukraine, during talks with the Indian counterpart on Tuesday.
Jaishankar reached Moscow on Monday as part of his two-day visit to Russia, in continuation of the regular high-level dialogue between the two sides. During his meeting with Lavrov today, he reviewed the entire gamut of the India-Russia relationship.
“For our part, we reaffirmed our high assessment of the Indian friends’ position on the situation in Ukraine and around it. I informed Dr S. Jaishankar about the course of a special military operation aimed at achieving the tasks that were set by the President of Russia Vladimir Putin in his speech on February 24, 2022,” Lavrov said during the press conference alongside Jaishankar. “We discussed the situation that has developed around the attempts of the Western colleagues, under the pretext of the Ukrainian events, to strengthen their dominant role in world affairs and prevent the democratization of international relations.
Jaishankar, meanwhile, raised concern about the consequences emanating from the Ukraine conflict that have affected energy and food security around the world. Holding the press briefing with Lavrov, Jaishankar said he exchanged views on international issues with the Russian side, in which the Ukraine conflict was the dominant feature.
Laying out India’s position on the Ukraine conflict, Jaishankar said, “As Prime Minister Narendra Modi conveyed to Russian President Putin: this is not an era of war. The global economy is simply too interdependent for significant conflict anywhere not to have major consequences elsewhere.”
After bilateral talks with his Indian counterpart, the Russian foreign minister said his conversation with Jaishankar was meaningful and useful and both sides agreed that strengthening the Russian-Indian special and privileged strategic partnership contributes to the maintenance of international and regional security and stability. “We noted with satisfaction the rhythmic, regular, intensive nature of our political dialogue, at the highest level and between Foreign Ministries,” he said.
Lavrov said both sides welcomed the positive dynamics of bilateral trade. “By September 2022, compared to the same period last year, the trade turnover added 133 per cent, almost reaching the mark of 17 billion US dollars. We are sure that the goal set by the leaders of Russia and India to increase the annual trade turnover to 30 billion USD will be achieved soon,” he said.
Lavrov said both discussed in detail the state of and prospects for ongoing negotiations on the launch of the North-South international transport corridor. They also discussed prospects for cooperation in the energy sector, including an increase in exports of hydrocarbons from Russia to the Indian market and mutual participation in projects for their production, including in the Far East and on the Arctic shelf of the Russian Federation, he said.
The Russian minister said both sides examined the state of and prospects for military-technical cooperation and the joint production of modern weapons. “We attach great importance to space exploration in such areas as satellite navigation, space science, and manned programs,” he added. Besides discussions on defence, talks also featured “high assessments of the interaction” between the two countries on the world stage, including within the framework of the UN, BRICS, SCO, and the G20, as well as at other multilateral platforms. (ANI)
