External affairs minister S Jaishankar met Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin on Monday, with the Russian leader expressing hope of meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the near future.
During his visit, Jaishankar is also scheduled to meet his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov to exchange views on regional and global issues, the External Affairs Ministry said in a statement on Saturday. He asked the EAM to convey his best wishes to Modi. The Russian President’s statement also highlighted that the trade turnover between Moscow and India has increased this year.
Putin said he hoped his future meeting with PM Modi would happen within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), according to Russian news agency TASS. Putin told Jaishankar that Russia is increasing fertiliser supplies to India and is ready to continue doing so. “The India-Russia partnership has consistently demonstrated resilience and adaptability,” Jaishankar said at a meeting of the bilateral intergovernmental commission on cooperation, which he co-chaired with Manturov. “Even amidst a complex international landscape, our engagement has continued to deepen, reflecting the mutual interest and confidence that define our bilateral partnership,” Jaishankar added.
Earlier in the day, the foreign minister held talks with Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov on ways to further expand bilateral trade and economic cooperation.
Jaishankar, who arrived in Moscow on Sunday, is on a two-day visit to Russia. It comes ahead of Putin’s expected visit to New Delhi for the BRICS leaders’ summit on September 12-13.
