Our ties have been 'very strong, very steady', says Jaishankar in meeting with Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday said that India-Russia relationship has been “very strong and very steady” and he believes that both the countries have lived up to a special and privileged strategic partnership. In his opening remarks during the meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, Jaishankar said, “Our relationship have been very strong, very steady. And I think we have lived up to a special and privileged strategic partnership. This year we have already met six times, and this is our seventh meet.”

Opening remarks at the meeting with FM Sergey Lavrov of Russia. https://t.co/o7vfav0kCd

— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) December 27, 2023

The External Affairs Minister said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin have also been in frequent contact. Talking about the Vibrant Gujarat meeting in January, he said that India expects a strong Russian participation at the event. On the agenda for the day, Jaishankar said today we will focus on our bilateral cooperation in different spheres, adjusting it to changing circumstances and demands. “We will discuss the international strategic situation, conflicts and tensions…,” added the External Affairs Minister. Jaishankar is on a five-day visit to Russia and on Tuesday he met Russian Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov. India and Russia signed “some very important” agreements related to the construction of the future power generating units of the Kudankulam nuclear power plant in Tamil Nadu, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Tuesday. He made the announcement after his “comprehensive and productive” meeting with Manturov on the bilateral economic cooperation during which they witnessed signing of agreements on nuclear power and in areas of medicines, pharmaceutical substances and medical devices. “Today, in my presence and that of Deputy Prime Minister Manturov, we signed some very important agreements pertaining to the future units of the Kudankulam nuclear project,” he said while addressing the Indian diaspora. The Kudankulam nuclear power plant is being built in Tamil Nadu with the technical assistance of Russia. The construction began in March 2002. Since February 2016, the first power unit of the Kudankulam NPP has been steadily operating at its design capacity of 1,000 MW. The plant is expected to start operating at full capacity in 2027, according to Russian state media. During the meeting, Jaishankar noted the significant progress in trade, finance, connectivity, energy, civil aviation and nuclear domains. “Appreciated the greater focus on exploring new opportunities. Discussed making our cooperation more balanced and sustainable in different dimensions,” he said in a post on X. In his address to the Indian community, Jaishankar described Russia as a “special partner” in a few areas such as defence, nuclear power and space. “Collaborations are done in areas of defence, space and nuclear [energy] with countries with which you have a high degree of trust,” he added. Jaishankar also said that the two sides have agreed that their negotiating teams will meet by the end of January to start in-person negotiations on the free trade agreement between India and the Eurasian Economic Zone. “Today, when I met the Prime Minister we agreed that early next year, our negotiating teams will meet. So I expect by the end of January, hopefully, that the in-person negotiations will start,” he said while responding to questions at the community event. “Finalised the program of cooperation on Russian Far East. Expect to hold early meeting of EaEU-India FTA negotiators. Will jointly organize connectivity events across land and maritime corridors,” he later posted on X. “If one looks at our economy, influence, and impact on the world today, it is very different from 10 years ago and will be different 10 years later. We went on from the 10th largest economy a decade ago, to be the 5th largest now and will hopefully be the 3rd largest and beyond that, later, Jaishankar said. Responding to a question on the payment problem between Russia and India, the minister said that in an unusual situation, we are trying to find ways by which banks deal with each other. “People are unclear what is happening…If you don’t have a full picture or you don’t have confidence people hold back. Those who have banking relationships, do business with Russia can educate people about good banks, safe routes,” he said. With inputs from agencies