External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is scheduled to engage in negotiations with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Moscow on Wednesday, as announced by the Russian Embassy in India. The discussions will center on current and future areas of bilateral cooperation, including the schedule of upcoming contacts. Key focuses include advancing sustainable transport, logistics, and banking chains, as well as expanding the use of national currencies in mutual settlements.
The agenda encompasses cooperation in high-tech sectors such as space and nuclear endeavors, along with joint projects for hydrocarbon development in the Arctic shelf and the Russian Far East. The ministers will also exchange views on international issues, including collaboration within the United Nations (UN), Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), and G20. Additionally, they will discuss Russia’s priorities during its BRICS chairmanship in the coming year.
The talks are expected to feature an in-depth exchange of views on forming a fair security architecture in the Asia-Pacific region, the situations in Ukraine and Afghanistan, and the Palestinian-Israeli confrontation. Both Moscow and New Delhi affirm their commitment to multipolarity for maintaining global order balance and resisting neocolonial practices. Russia supports countries of the Global South in safeguarding political and economic sovereignty.
Notably, on Tuesday, Jaishankar and Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and Trade, Denis Manturov, explored the development of trade and economic cooperation between the two nations. The discussions covered trade, investment, financial and banking, transport and logistics, energy, and food security. Priority industrial cooperation projects were also emphasized, leading to the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the healthcare surveillance bodies of Russia and India.
Earlier in the week, Jaishankar engaged with representatives of the Russian strategic community to discuss connectivity, multilateralism, big power competition, and regional conflicts. The discussions underscored the importance of rebalancing and the emergence of multipolarity. Jaishankar’s four-day visit to Russia, from December 25-29, includes a series of engagements aimed at strengthening the strategic partnership between the two nations.