EAM Jaishankar Holds Talk With President Vladimir Putin, Highlights India-Russia Trade At All-Time High, Political Cooperation

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday (27 December) held a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, signaling a significant upswing in the strategic partnership between the two nations.

This high-level engagement covered a wide range of global issues, including discussions on the Indo-Pacific, the Ukraine conflict, Gaza, Afghanistan, Central Asia, BRICS, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), G20, and the United Nations as reported by NDTV.

The talks underscored the advancements in economic cooperation, energy trade, connectivity initiatives, military-technical collaboration, and people-to-people exchanges.

Jaishankar praised the impressive India-Russia trade, surpassing $50 billion last year, an all-time high, highlighting its balanced and sustainable nature.

Key takeaways from the meeting include the planned resumption of negotiations for a free trade agreement between India and the Eurasian Economic Union in January 2024.

During the joint press conference, Jaishankar stressed the importance of political cooperation, covering discussions on international issues and organisations like BRICS and SCO.

During the conference, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov expressed Russia's readiness to support India's 'Made-in-India' programme for military production and emphasised expanded cooperation across various sectors.

The leaders also agreed on enhancing the legal framework of India-Russia relations, expediting agreements on mutual protection of investment, and establishing a free trade area between India and the Eurasian Economic Union.

Ongoing collaboration also includes the launch of the North-South International Transport Corridor, the Chennai-Vladivostok route, and joint efforts to expand the Northern Sea route.