India-Moscow ties 'steadiest' since WW-II: Jaishankar after meeting Russian FM
What's the story
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has described India-Russia relations as the "steadiest of the major relationships in the world after the Second World War." He made these remarks during a joint press briefing with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow. Lavrov echoed this sentiment, calling it a "special strategic partnership" defined by both countries' leaders.
Bilateral discussions
Jaishankar's Moscow visit
Jaishankar's visit to Moscow comes after a round of trade and economic talks with Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov. The meeting with Lavrov was an opportunity to review political relations and bilateral cooperation. "I want to take bilateral discussions forward so...we have the maximum outcomes when we have the annual summit. The global context for our meeting is provided by the evolving geopolitical situation, shifting economic trade landscape, and our shared goal is to maximize our complementarity," Jaishankar said.
Upcoming events
Preparations for next annual summit
Jaishankar also spoke about recent high-level engagements, including the 22nd Annual Summit last year. He said preparations were underway for the next summit at the end of this year. The minister also mentioned an active bilateral calendar with visits by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and other Indian officials. "All these showed how deep our relationship is," he said.
Diplomatic dialogue
Lavrov frames India-Russia ties against changing global order backdrop
Welcoming Jaishankar in Moscow, Lavrov expressed hope that their talks would be fruitful. He framed the ties between India and Russia against the backdrop of a changing global order, including SCO, BRICS, the G20, and the United Nations. The meeting takes place after US President Donald Trump hiked tariffs on Indian imports to a staggering 50% over India's purchase of Russian crude oil.