Jaishankar in Russia Updates: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who is in Russia, will hold bilateral talks with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov comes amid growing global concerns over increasing hostilities between Moscow and Ukraine.
In his opening remarks in a meeting with Lavrov, Jaishankar said, “Our meeting today, is of course, devoted to assessing the state of our bilateral cooperation; exchanging perspectives on the international situation and what that means to our respective interests. Where bilateral ties are concerned, you would agree that it is our objective today to fashion a contemporary, balanced, mutually beneficial, sustainable, and long-term engagement. Especially as our economic cooperation increases, this is a significant imperative. We would be discussing how our shared goals are best achieved.”
Jaishankar said that his talks with Lavrov also covered various global situations as well as specific regional concerns, such as Russia’s conflict with Ukraine and its consequences on others.
In a statement, the Russian foreign ministry on Monday said Jaishankar and Lavrov, in their talks, will focus on trade and investment, use of national currencies for trade, “promising projects” in the energy sector and the formation of a security architecture in the Asia-Pacific region.
“Russia and India stand for the active formation of a more just and equal polycentric world order, and proceed from the inadmissibility of promoting the imperialist diktat on the global arena,” it said.
Here Are All Latest Updates:
• In his opening remarks in a meeting with Lavrov, Jaishankar said, “Where the international situation is concerned, the last few years of the Covid pandemic, financial pressures, and trade difficulties; have taken a toll on the global economy. We are now seeing the consequences of the Ukraine conflict on top of that. There are also the more perennial issues of terrorism and climate change, both of which have a disruptive impact on progress and prosperity. Our talks will address the overall global situation as well as specific regional concerns.”
• Jaishankar’s visit comes amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and at a time when the West has imposed several sanctions on Russia. The EAM’s visit is also significant as it comes days ahead of the G-20 summit in Bali, scheduled for November 15-16.
• To a question on the Ukraine conflict, Bagchi said India has always emphasized on the need to return to diplomacy and dialogue to resolve it, adding, “I am sure that the external affairs minister would certainly be reiterating it.” “I cannot pre-judge what will be the discussions,” he said, noting that India is “looking at the economic elements” and also an exchange of views and discussions on “political developments”.
• Asked about Russia agreeing to rejoin a UN-backed agreement to allow the export of grain from Ukraine via a Black Sea corridor, Bagchi did not give a direct reply but said any effort to address the global food security challenge is a welcome move. “We have been talking about the impact of the high prices of fertilisers, food and energy affecting countries around the world particularly the developing world and anything that helps that process in increasing the availability and reducing the cost of food etc is a welcome development,” he said.
• Jaishankar had last visited Russia in July last year which was followed by a visit to India by Lavrov in April.
• In the last few months, India has increased the import of discounted crude oil from Russia notwithstanding increasing disquiet over it by several Western powers. Jaishankar and Lavrov have already met four times after the Ukraine conflict began in February. Russian President Vladimir Putin visited India in December last year to attend the India-Russia annual summit.
• Both the countries have a mechanism under which India’s prime minister and the Russian president hold a summit meeting annually to review the entire gamut of ties. It is the turn of Prime Minister Modi to travel to Russia for this year’s summit. However, there is no clarity yet on the summit this year. Since the Ukraine conflict began in February, Modi spoke to Putin as well as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a number of times.
• In a phone conversation with Zelenskyy on October 4, Modi said that there can be “no military solution” and that India is ready to contribute to any peace efforts. At a bilateral meeting with Putin in the Uzbek city of Samarkand on September 16, Modi told him that “today’s era is not of war”. India has not yet condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine and it has been maintaining that the crisis must be resolved through diplomacy and dialogue.
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