Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his team meets the Indian side led by Dr. S Jaishankar in New Delhi today
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today called for the early cessation of violence in Ukraine and conveyed to the visiting Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, India’s readiness to contribute “in any way to the peace efforts”.
Lavrov had called on Prime Minister Modi and briefed him on the situation in Ukraine, including the ongoing peace negotiations.
The Russian Foreign Minister also updated Modi on the progress of decisions taken during the India-Russia bilateral summit held in December 2021.
India’s External Affairs Minister, Dr S Jaishankar, said Prime Minister Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin “have been in regular touch and have spoken to each other on multiple occasions this year”.
Lavrov, in a separate meeting with Jaishankar today, appreciated that India was taking the situation in Ukraine “in the entirety of facts, not just in a one-sided way”.
Jaishakar noted that their meeting today was taking place “in a difficult international environment quite apart from the pandemic”, and Lavrov responded, saying, ” Indeed,… these days our Western colleagues would like to reduce any meaningful international issue to the crisis in Ukraine.” He added: “You know our position. We do not hide anything and we appreciate it that India is taking this situation in the entirety of facts, not just in a one-sided way.”
Jaishankar told Lavrov that India has always been in favour of resolving differences and disputes through dialogue and diplomacy.
“In our meeting today, we will have an opportunity to discuss contemporary issues and concerns in some detail. I look forward to our discussions,” he told Lavrov, who told him that “it’s really a pleasure to have another meeting with our friends”.
Lavrov said: “Friendship is the keyword to describe the history of our relations. Our relations were very sustainable during many difficult times in the past and I don’t have the slightest doubt that our mutual respect and the search for a balance of interests will prevail in our relations in the future as well.”
Lavrov announced that Russia was developing a specially privileged strategic partnership with New Delhi and this was one of the key priorities of the Russian foreign policy. “It’s equality and mutual trust that underlie our actions on the international arena, and in the context of a multipolar world, which is being objectively shaped, as you alluded to yesterday addressing a conference in New Delhi,” he told his Indian counterpart, and added, “We are certainly interested in having the world order balanced, which makes it sustainable”.
President Putin paid an official visit to New Delhi in December 2021, and Lavrov said it was a very useful summit, as well as the two plus two meetings, which preceded the meeting of the leaders, Ministers of Defence and Ministers of Foreign Affairs.
“Now as far as I understand, the respective members of our governments are discussing the dates for the next meeting of the Governmental Commission on Economic Cooperation,” he said, and added, both countries had intensified their bilateral contacts and President Putin and Prime Minister Modi were in regular touch with each other. “I will report to the President about my negotiations here. He sends, by the way, his best regards to Prime Minister Modi and I will appreciate an opportunity to deliver this message personally,” he said.
Russia and India will continue to implement projects in the areas of energy, science and technology, outer space, the pharmaceutical industry, and of course we cooperated and continue to cooperate in the efforts to fight the coronavirus infection, Lavrov said.
Jaishankar also recalled the meeting between the two, both on bilateral visits and on the sidelines of multilateral platforms. “This year also we have had an opportunity to speak twice and I think keeping in regular touch is something that is in our mutual interest,” he said.
– global bihari bureau
