Jaishankar meets Putin at SCO meet, PM Modi engages Russian aide as India–Russia summit preparations gain pace

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday met Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of a meeting of heads of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) delegations in Moscow.

The meeting came a day after Jaishankar held talks with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov.

Taking to X, Jaishankar posted, “Honoured to call on President Putin of Russia in Moscow today. Conveyed greetings of Prime Minister @narendramodi."

“Apprised him of preparations underway for the upcoming Annual India Russia Summit. Also discussed regional and global developments. Deeply value his perspectives and guidance on further advancement of our ties,” he added.

Meanwhile in New Delhi, Nikolai Patrushev — Putin’s top aide and Chairman of Russia’s Maritime Board — called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss key areas of bilateral cooperation.

Patrushev also reviewed preparations for the upcoming India–Russia Summit, scheduled for early December, coinciding with Putin’s much-anticipated visit to India.

“Aide to the President and Chairman of the Maritime Board of the Russian Federation, H.E. Mr. Nikolai Patrushev, called on Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi today. They exchanged views on strengthening cooperation in the maritime domain, including new opportunities for collaboration in connectivity, skill development, shipbuilding and blue economy,” PMO said in a statement.

The statement further said that PM Modi conveyed his warm greetings to President Putin and said that he looked forward to hosting him in India next month.

According to a Times of India report, in a statement shared on Telegram, the Russian Embassy in India stated, “On November 18, in New Delhi, Aide to the President of Russia and Chairman of the Maritime Board of Russia Nikolai Patrushev was received by Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi. The parties discussed various issues of Russian-Indian cooperation, particularly in the maritime sector. The two sides emphasised their mutual interest in deepening interaction between Russia and India to strengthen their maritime capabilities.”

Preparations for the Russia–India Summit, scheduled for early December, were also discussed during the diplomatic engagements.

“Putin is expected to visit India in December for 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit. He last visited India in December 2021 to attend the 21st edition of the meeting.”

On Monday, Jaishankar met his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov to review bilateral and international issues, with a focus on the upcoming summit that coincides with the 25th anniversary of the Declaration on Strategic Partnership between the two nations.

“The foreign ministers reaffirmed Russia and India’s commitment to building a just, multipolar world order and ensuring global security. They agreed to continue coordinating their approaches to cooperation between Russia and India in key multilateral formats— the UN, SCO, BRICS, and the G20,” read a statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry.

Last month, PM Modi spoke with President Putin by phone to assess progress in the bilateral agenda.

During the conversation, PM Modi conveyed birthday greetings to Putin and reaffirmed India’s commitment to strengthening strategic cooperation. He also said he looked forward to hosting the Russian leader in December for the 23rd India–Russia Annual Summit.

The two leaders had also held talks in September on the sidelines of the SCO Summit in Tianjin, where they discussed regional and global developments, including the conflict in Ukraine, and reiterated support for deepening bilateral ties.

With inputs from agencies