Honoured to call on President Putin at the Kremlin. I conveyed the warm greetings of President Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Jaishankar wrote on X
Earlier in the day, Jaishankar also met Russian FM Lavrov. Pic/PTI
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, further cementing ties as both nations prepare for their Annual Leaders Summit.
“Honoured to call on President Putin at the Kremlin today. I conveyed the warm greetings of President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. I also apprised him of my discussions with First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Preparations for the Annual Leaders Summit are well underway. I appreciate him sharing his perspectives on the global situation, including recent developments in Ukraine,” Jaishankar posted on X.
During his three-day visit, Jaishankar co‑chaired the 26th India‑Russia Inter‑Governmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation (IRIGC‑TEC) and addressed the India‑Russia Business Forum in Moscow.
He also met with FM Lavrov to review bilateral ties and discuss regional issues. Responding to a query at a joint press briefing, Jaishankar addressed US-imposed tariffs on Indian goods tied to Russian oil purchases.
He pointed out that China, not India, is Russia’s largest oil purchaser, while the EU leads imports of LNG. He added that India also buys more oil from the US and found the logic of selective tariffs “perplexing,” according to the ANI.
Jaishankar stated that the energy cooperation with Russia and spoke of the need to correct trade imbalances by boosting Indian exports in sectors such as agriculture, pharmaceuticals and textiles.
“On regional issues, we discussed developments in Ukraine, West Asia, the Middle East and Afghanistan. India remains committed to dialogue and diplomacy as essential to resolving such conflicts,” he said, as per the ANI.
He also noted that defence and military technology collaboration remains robust and that Russia supports the ‘Make in India’ initiative -- including joint production and technology transfer.
India and Russia on Thursday also vowed to expand their bilateral trade in a "balanced and sustainable manner" with Jaishankar underlining the need to "swiftly" address non-tariff barriers and regulatory impediments.
"We believe that relations between India and Russia have been among the steadiest of the major relationships in the world after the Second World War," Jaishankar said at a joint media briefing with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov after their wide-ranging talks, according to the PTI.
(with ANI and PTI inputs)
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