Jaishankar calls Russia 'time-tested partner', Putin sends invite to PM Modi: Highlights from EAM's Moscow visit

External affairs minister S Jaishankar, who is on a 5-day visit to Russia, held discussions with Russian president Vladimir Putin in Moscow and Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, covering a broad spectrum of global issues including the Indo-Pacific, the Ukraine conflict and developments in Gaza.

External affairs minister S Jaishankar backed ties with Moscow, calling it a valued and time-tested partner with which India enjoyed a mutually beneficial relationship that’s based on strategic convergence and geopolitical interests and realities.

(Image credits: PTI)

EAM Jaishankar highlighted that PM Modi and president Vladimir Putin have maintained regular communication. Jaishankar said, “Our relations have been very strong, very steady. And I think we have lived up to a special and privileged strategic partnership. This year we have already met six times, and this is our 7th meeting"

(Image credits: Reuters)

Russian president Putin had a meeting with foreign minister Jaishankar where he extended an invitation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit Russia next year, expressing the desire to engage in discussions on current issues and explore the future development of bilateral relations. During a meeting with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar at the Kremlin, Putin conveyed, "We will be pleased to welcome our friend, Mr. Prime Minister Modi, in Russia."

(Image credits: PTI)

The leaders also addressed advancements in economic collaboration, connectivity initiatives, military-technical cooperation, and initiatives promoting people-to-people exchanges. Jaishankar also underscored the significant progress in India-Russia bilateral trade, surpassing USD 50 billion.

(Image credits: AP)

Indian foreign minister in his meeting reflected on the robust and enduring ties between India and the strength and steadiness of the relationship. The discussions encompassed various facets of bilateral cooperation, as well as deliberations on the international strategic landscape.

(Image credits: ANI)

Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov conveyed Russia's readiness to endorse India's efforts in manufacturing military products under the 'Made In India' initiative. Lavrov said that he and external affairs minister S Jaishankar, during their meeting, have initiated several measures aimed at enhancing cooperation between India and Russia.

(Image credits: Reuters)

Jaishankar also conducted a "comprehensive and productive" session with deputy prime minister Manturov, focusing on bilateral economic cooperation. During the meeting, they observed the signing of several "very significant" agreements pertaining to the construction of future power-generating units at the Kudankulam nuclear power plant in Tamil Nadu.

Despite Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, the bond between India and Russia has stayed strong with India, refraining from condemning the Russian incursion into Ukraine, and continuing to advocate for a diplomatic and dialogic resolution to the crisis. Despite mounting concerns in many Western nations, India's import of Russian crude oil has seen a substantial increase with further strengthening of the relationship.